

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 


Shelf 


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 






































































































































































































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IT WAS MR. TULL 
(See page 86) 





Harry Ambler 


AND 


How he Saved the Homestead 


Sidney Marlow 


‘‘And ever the truth comes uppermost” 


PHILADELPHIA 

The Penn Publishing 

1893 



% 1 j 


Copyright. 1890, by The Penn Publishing Company 


TO 

filbert H- Coggins 

and 

Hepbepfc Lt. Coggins 

*Ttiia t>ool< is affectionately dedicated 


BY THE AUTHOR 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 


I Mrs. Ambler’s Distress * • 9 

II Two Visits 21 

III Disappointed Hopes 33 

IV Jock’s Luck 45 

V Secrets 56 

VI Turned Out 69 

VII At the Falls Mill 81 

VIII The Damaged Picture 90 

IX The Miller’s Alarm . 103 

X In the Deserted Cottage 115 

XI The Stolen Watch . . 131 

XII The Midnight Visit 142 

XIII The Vigilance Committee 153 

XIV A Queer Customer i 58 

7 


8 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

XV Saving the Mill *79 

XVI A Great Bargain 193 

XVII Harry’s Invention 203 

XVIII The Magic Bag • 211 

XIX Better Days 224 

XX A Clew at Last 233 

XXI Harry is Arrested . 0 244 

XXII Practical Politics 261 

XXIII Marm Takes a Hand 273 

XXIV A Just Reward 286 

XXV Finding Jock 299 

XXVI Jock’s Revelation 312 

XXVII Marm’s Visitor 323 

XXVIII At Last ... 335 

XXIX Home Again 351 


HARRY AMBLER 


CHAPTER I 


MRS. AMBRER’S DISTRESS 

“ TT THAT on earth is this ?” 

* ’ Nellie Ambler dropped the cloth with 
which she was dusting the furniture of the 
little room, and stooped to pick up the object 
which had caused her surprise. It was a piece 
of writing-paper, carefully folded, without an 
envelope, but addressed on the outside to 
“Mrs. Parker Ambler, widow.” 

“Where did you get it, Nellie?” asked her 
mother, who had entered the room just in 
time to hear her daughter’s expression of 
surprise. 

“ Right here on the floor. Somebody must 
have pushed it under the door,” and with this 
last thought in her mind, the girl stepped to 
the door and opened it. “Oh, I see through 
it now. There goes Ned Tull out the lane. 

9 


IO 


HARRY AMBLER 


He left it, of course. Why, mother, what 
is it ?” 

There was alarm in the daughter’s voice as 
she asked the last question. When Mrs. Am- 
bler entered the room Nellie had handed her 
the paper, and while she was looking out 
the window the mother had opened and read 
the notice. As, a second later, Nellie turned, 
she saw her mother supporting herself with 
one hand upon the back of a chair, while in 
the other she tightly grasped the mysterious 
paper. . She was unusually pale. 

“ It’s about the rent, Nellie, but don’t be 
frightened on my account,” as she noticed the 
alarm in the other’s face. 

Nellie took the paper from her mother’s 
hand and read it aloud. 

“Tull’s Crossing, March 28, 1876. 
Mrs. Parker Ambler. 

Madam : — Three mouths’ rent for the premises now 
occupied by you, will be due and payable on the 30th 
day of March, 1876. You are hereby notified that 
unless said rent, amounting to seventy-five dollars 
($75), is paid upon that day, I shall upon the following 
day resume possession of said premises, as provided in 
the lease signed by your late husband. 

Respectfully yours, 

Jeremiah Tull, Owner.” 


MRS. AMBRER’S DISTRESS 


II 


The mother and daughter gazed at each 
other in silence for a moment, then the latter 
spoke : 

“ No wonder Ned Tull didn’t care to see us.” 

“It is certainly very harsh under the cir- 
cumstances,” said Mrs. Ambler, speaking 
more quietly than at first. 

“ This is Tuesday, and I don’t know where 
to look for help within two days. He surely 
could have afforded to give us a little longer 
time.” 

At this point the conversation was inter- 
rupted by the entrance of a boy of about fifteen 
years of age. His resemblance to the others 
told of the near relationship that existed be- 
tween the three. 

His manner, like their own, was unusually 
quiet. The recent death of father and husband 
had left its mark upon the little household. 

“Just read that, Harry,” said his sister, as 
she handed the landlord’s letter to her brother. 
Harry read it through in silence, and then 
turned to his mother. 

“I wonder if he is in earnest?” 

“ It looks so to me. Judgingfrom the legal 
terms I should think that the paper had been 
written by his lawyer,” replied his mother. 


12 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Mother, I’m going right over to see him. 
He has never been so anxious about his rent 
before, and there may he some mistake.” 

There was certainly nothing better to be 
done under the circumstances, so Mrs. Ambler 
approved of her son’s suggestion, and he set 
out for the residence of the landlord. 

The good woman soon recovered from the 
shock which she had felt when she first read 
the notice. She was by no means a nervous 
woman, but the distressing circumstances of 
her recent loss had of course had their effect 
upon her. 

Nellie had not yet gained that composure 
which time and experience alone can give, 
and her indignation only increased as she 
thought over the hardship of their position 
and the seeming heartlessness of their landlord. 
When Harry had gone she gave expression to 
her feelings with the utmost freedom. 

The two were left alone for nearly an hour 
to complete their household duties and await 
Harry’s return. At length Nellie broke out 
for perhaps the fiftieth time upon the same 
subject. 

“Just to think, mother, a man as rich as he 


MRS. AMBLER’S DISTRESS 13 

“Nellie,” interposed her mother, at length, 
“ please don’t talk any more about the matter. 
It does no kind of good, and just keeps us 
excited when we need to be most cool. Harry 
will be back very soon and then we will know 
more about it.” 

“There he comes now, just getting over the 
fence into the meadow. He must be in a 
hurry or he would have come by the lane.” 

“ Oh, he often cuts across the field,” re- 
plied Mrs. Ambler, desirous of avoiding all 
unnecessary excitement. 

In a very few minutes Harry entered the 
room hot, breathless, and angry. He tossed 
his cap on the table and dropped into the 
nearest chair. 

“ Well, my boy, what does it all mean ?” 

“ He’s worse than a hog,” replied the boy, 
still too much out of breath to waste much of 
it in words. 

“Surely, Harry, he don’t insist upon our 
raising such a sum of money between now 
and Friday, knowing, as he does, all about 
our trouble ?” 

The boy drew several long breaths, as if to 
catch up with his usual rate of breathing, and 
then undertook to describe his visit to Mr. Tull. 


14 


HARRY AMBLER 


' “ Why, mother, you never in all your life 
saw anybody’s manner change as Mr. Tull’s 
lias towards us. He was always a rough man, 
of course, but while father was alive he treated 
us as well as he treated any one. But to-day 
he talked and acted as if we were a set of 
tramps who had taken possession of his 
house.” 

“ My dear boy,” said Mrs. Ambler, with a 
dubious shake of the head, “ I fear that you 
have forgotten yourself and said or done 
something that has set Mr. Tull against us. 
We have all been so much disturbed of late 
that I can’t wonder at it,” she added, by way 
of apology. 

“ But I didn’t, mother — at least not until I 
had to. I knocked at the door as usual, and 
said ‘ good morning ’ to Ned when he opened 
it. He gave a grunt, as much as to say that 
he had rather expected to see me before long. 

“ When I asked if his father was at home, 
he said something which I understood to mean 
that he was. He then closed the door in my 
face and went upstairs. As I heard him call- 
ing to his father, I waited at the door for Mr. 
Tull’s appearance. 

“ Somehow, Ned Tull has always hated me 


MRS. AMBLER’S DISTRESS 


15 


and I never knew exactly why, unless it is 
because I am younger than he is, and yet 
keep ahead of him at school. It would take 
a smarter boy than I am to even pretend to 
be as stupid as Ned is at his lessons.” 

This speech sounded a little boastful, but 
Harry soon recovered himself, and went on 
with his narrative. 

“Well, Mr. Tull came down after awhile 
and opened the door. Instead of asking me 
in, he deliberately seated himself just inside 
the door, and let me stand outside the whole 
time.” 

“ That was polite, I must say,” remarked 
Nellie. 

“ Oh, I soon saw that it was all done to 
show me that things were very different now 
from what they were during father’s life, and 
to keep me from asking any favors upon the 
strength of old acquaintance. When I told 
him that we could neither raise the money, 
nor move, upon such short notice, he expressed 
great surprise, and asked if we hadn’t known 
when the rent would fall due.” 

“ The old hypocrite,” indignantly broke in 
Nellie again. “ He knows why we haven’t 
the money just as well as we do ourselves.” 


I 6 HARRY AMBLER 

“Of course he does. Then he made some 
remarks about people who live beyond their 
means, and expect others to take care of 
them when they get into trouble, and about 
boys who go to school to show off their book- 
learning when they ought to be at work. 

“ Now, I didn’t mind any of that very much, 
because it might be his honest opinion, but 
he couldn’t stop at that. When he saw that 
I was not hurt at what he had already said, 
he became more severe. Ned took part in the 
conversation, too, and they became very in- 
sulting. 

“ Once, when I said that if you and Nellie 
had to leave here on Friday, I didn’t know 
where you would find shelter, Ned laughed 
and remarked that the residence in their lower 
pasture was not occupied at present — which 
meant their old cow-shed. The old man 
seemed to consider the joke a very good one, 
indeed. 

“Of course, mother, since we have had so 
much worriment, I am not able to control myself 
as well as I was before, although I had made 
up my mind before I went to the house not to 
lose my temper. When at last Mr. Tull 
straightened himself back in his chair and re- 


MRS. ambler’s distress i 7 

marked very deliberately that for his part he 
never could understand how it was that pau- 
pers always spread themselves so when it 
came to funerals, I couldn’t stand it any 
longer.” 

“ Paupers ! Did he use that word, Harry ?” 

“ Yes, mother, and as soon as he saw that it 
hurt me, he used it over and over again. Then 
I talked very plainly for awhile, and I don’t 
know exactly what I did say. He became 
very angry, or pretended to, and said that I 
had insulted him, and I expect he was right. 
As to the notice, he said that it meant just 
exactly what it said — the money or the house 
by Friday noon. That’s the whole of it.” 

Without spending much time in useless in- 
dignation, Mrs. Ambler set to work to devise 
some way to meet the sudden trouble that was 
upon them. Several plans were suggested but 
they hardly seemed to answer the needs of the 
occasion. 

“ Mamma, I wonder if Mr. Conner wouldn’t 
help us ? He and father were always good 
friends,’’ asked Nellie, at length. 

“ That’s it, mother,” said Harry ; “ let me 
go and see Mr. Conner. Why didn’t we think 
of that before ?” 


2 


HARRY AMBLER 


18 

“ Very well, Harry ; I am perfectly willing 
to have you try. I doubt whether Mr. Conner 
has such a sum of money to spare, but both 
he and Mrs. Conner will sympathize with us 
and help us if they can.” 

“ Then I’m off. It’s a good deal easier to 
be running around than to sit still and think 
about old Tull,” and the boy seized his cap 
from the table and started upon his visit to 
the “ Falls Mill,” which was a full mile and a 
half from the Ambler farm. His mother 
stood at the window and watched him until he 
was well on his way. 

“ I’m sure Harry won’t have to stand out- 
side of the door to tell our troubles to Mr. and 
Mrs. Conner,” she said, in a tone which 
showed how deeply she felt the treatment that 
her son had received. 

Nellie bit her lip and remained silent, but 
her flashing eyes made it plain that her com- 
ments would not have been so mild. 

There certainly was something about the 
boy, as he walked briskly up the road, that 
justified the pride of his mother and sister. 
Every motion denoted promptness and deter- 
mination, yet without the least suggestion of 
the swaggerer. He was erect without being 


MRS. AMBLER’S DISTRESS 1 9 

at all pompous or stiff, and the freedom of his 
motions showed that he had never been com- 
pelled to perform tasks beyond his strength. 
His limbs had retained their suppleness at 
the same time that they had acquired muscle. 
The careful observer would have suspected 
that the boy was something of an athlete for 
one of his age. His step was light and regu- 
lar, his skin clear, and his eye steady. 

In conversation he looked the other person 
full in the face, and spoke without hesitation. 
Neither in thought, speech nor action did he 
show any of those faults that come from 
timidity or cowardice, although his manner 
was so quiet that it was sometimes mistaken 
for fear by those who judge too hastily from 
first appearances. He was gentle and respect- 
ful to his mother and sister, and welcomed 
their assistance and advice. They in their 
turn were very proud of him and were daily 
learning to rely more and more upon his 
judgment and protection. He must now sup- 
ply the place of the one so recently called 
away. 

While he had the faults common to boy- 
hood, he certainly deserved the homely com- 
pliment bestowed upon him by Mrs. Conner. 


20 


HARRY AMBLER 


The worthy woman saw him trudging up the 
hill at the end of the journey upon which we 
have just seen him enter. Turning to her 
husband, Mrs. Conner remarked : 

“ Gregory, there’s a man inside o’ that boy, 
sure.” 


CHAPTER II 


TWO VISITS 


REGORY CONNER was a Scotchman 



who had come to America in his early 
manhood, and for many years had been the 
owner of what was known as the “ Falls Mill.” 
His j udgment was sometimes warped by what 
may be called a little over-caution, mixed with 
a touch of obstinacy, but his good qualities 
entirely outweighed these trifling blemishes. 
His wife was not Scottish by birth, although 
she frequently dropped into the manners and 
forms of speech which were still, quite notice- 
able with her husband. 

They were both of kindly dispositions, in- 
dustrious, and honest, and were generally 
liked by the farmers of the neighborhood. 
Mr. Ambler and the miller had become well 
acquainted, and had had many occasions for 
the interchange of favors. Harry, who had 
always been a welcome visitor at the mill, 
now rapped at the door. It was at once opened 


21 


22 


HARRY AMBLER 


to him, and he was warmly greeted by the 
worthy couple. 

“We be always glad to see you, lad,” said 
Mr. Conner, as he placed a chair for their 
guest, “ and how be the mother and sister ?” 

“We’re all very well in health, Mr. Conner, 
but we are having a good deal of worriment 
just now,” replied Harry, naturally anxious 
to make the purpose of his visit known as 
soon as possible. 

“ Of course, of course,” said the other, 
“ Parker Ambler will be missed for mony a 
long day to come.” 

He supposed, very reasonably, that Harry 
referred to the recent death of his father. 

“ Yes, Mr. Conner, it all comes from father’s 
death to be sure, but just now we have another 
trouble. Mr. Tull has served a rent notice 
on us.” 

“ Served a rent notice on you ?” spoke up 
Mrs. Conner. “ This be surely an odd time 
to get stiff about the rent.” 

“Well, he sent Ned over this morning with 
this notice. You see it is for Friday at the 
latest, and I believe the lease gives him the 
right to turn us out,” and Harry handed the 
paper to Mr. Conner, who read it to his wife. 


TWO VISITS 


23 


Then followed a number of questions and 
explanations which gave a full understanding 
of the whole matter. At length the miller 
seemed to have reached a conclusion, as he 
laid the notice upon the table before him. 

“ He don’t mean it, lad — not what he says 
in here. What he really wants, no doubt, is 
that you shall give up a bit of the wood lot, 
or a piece of the meadow, or possibly that you 
shall give security for the coming rent, now 
that the father’s gone. He’ll na turn you 
out of the house.” 

Mrs. Conner, however, shook her head 
doubtfully as she re-read the positive language 
of the notice. 

“ I’m no so sure o’ that, Gregory, when I 
remember how he treated the Crandalls. Jerry 
Tull be full mean enough to do it.” 

“ I mind all o’ that, Margie, I mind all that, 
but he aint mean enough to drive the widow 
and bairns off the place while the wheat the 
father bought and sowed is still in the ground. 
He’ll na take the place against the coming 
harvest. Tell the mother she can rest on 
that.” 

“But, Mr. Conner,” persisted Harry, “I 
had a long talk with Mr. Tull this morning, 


24 


HARRY AMBLER 


and he seemed to me to be very much in 
earnest. He insisted upon the house or the 
rent by Friday.” 

“ I don’t doubt his words were sure enough, 
but you’ll find I’m right in the end, and it’s 
somewhat else he’s after. Why, lad, he knows 
that all the money was lost with the father, 
and dollars don’t grow on the bushes here- 
abouts.” 

“ I told him all about the way we’re fixed 
over and over again, but it seemed to make 
no difference. He always came back to the 
money or the house. Once he said something 
about her leaving the Crossing and going to 
Massachusetts, and that he might make it 
easier for us if we did, but I was not able, to 
understand how we were to be benefited. I’m 
very sure he’s in earnest.” 

At last the boy’s decided opinion and Mrs. 
Conner’s support, so far convinced the miller 
that he promised to call on Tull the next 
morning and persuade him to be more lenient 
than his notice seemed to indicate. 

“ It’s just as like,” he added, finally, “ that 
the man will put it full as strong to me, but 
he won’t mean it if he does.” 

Harry thanked his friends, and set out on 


TWO VISITS 


25 


his return to the cottage. While he took with 
him no promise of money, yet the cordial 
sympathy of Mr. and Mrs. Conner seemed 
like substantial assistance to the anxious 
mother and sister who were awaiting his 
arrival. They talked it all over again, more 
hopefully than before, and decided to take no 
further action until they should learn the re- 
sult of Mr. Conner’s intervention on the mor- 
row. 

Bright and early on the following morning 
the miller set about the task he had under- 
taken, and was soon on his way to the resi- 
dence of the landlord. Mr. Tull was a 
widower, and his family consisted of himself, 
his son Ned, a somewhat savage dog “Brock,” 
and the household servants. The dog was the 
first to greet the new arrival, and his growling 
attracted his master’s attention. Tull called 
off the dog, and himself walked down to the 
gate to meet the miller. As he was never 
given to any very great exhibition of courtesy, 
Conner felt that Tull must have some special 
reason for going out of his way upon this oc- 
casion. 

They seated themselves upon the porch and 
no time was wasted in general conversation. 


26 


HARRY AMBLER 


Mr. Conner went right to the point. It struck 
him that his host was not entirely surprised 
at the nature of his errand. 

The landlord listened with great apparent 
respect to the miller’s explanations and sug- 
gestions, but was unmoved by their force. At 
first he made show of answering his argu- 
ments, but when the miller became more per- 
sistent, Mr. Tull dropped back into his usual 
tone when dealing with those who opposed 
him. 

The woman knew that the rent would fall 
due at this time and she should have been 
ready to meet it. He was not going to give 
up his rights on account of a little sniveling. 

When his visitor spoke of the very recent 
and sudden death of Mr. Ambler, he replied 
that he didn’t kill Mr. Ambler, and must not 
be expected to lose by his death. As to the 
loss of the money which Ambler had with 
him at the time of his death, Mr. Tull again 
replied that he had nothing to do with it. 
Mr. Ambler should have been more careful of 
both his life and his money. 

The Scotchman soon saw that there was 
but slight hope of success to his mission, but 
he was very sure from the other’s efforts at 


TWO VISITS 


27 


self-control that he was holding back some 
offer or suggestion which he would bring for- 
ward in due time. Curious to learn what it 
might be, our friend gave up his own efforts 
and prepared to depart. He had actually 
started towards the gate when Tull recalled 
him. 

“ Conner, this here thing is kind o’ awkward 
all ’round an’ I aint dead sure that I’m right, 
but I want to be, I guess you know that. 

^Now, you’ve took sich a interest in that ’ere 
family that I kind o’ feel ’zif I was bound to 
help you ef it could be anyhow managed. I 
think it like as not you’re doing all this 
without making a cent?” 

The miller replied that of course he was not 
to be paid for an act of neighborly kindness. 

“ That’s jest what I said to myself while 
you was a-talking awhile ago, an’ I respect 
you fer yer kindness to them that needs it. 
If I kin see how it kin be done I’ll help yo’ 
in it, too, blamed ef I don’t.” 

Mr. Tull’s altered manner so misled the 
miller that he was about to renew his own 
proposition. The other saw this and pre- 
vented it by advancing his own plan. 

“ It aint no how possible, Conner, fer the 


28 


HARRY AMBLER 


widow to stay on the old place, but while we 
was talking it occurred to me that it was jest 
possible that some arrangement might be 
made that would help her an’ be a sort of pub- 
lic benefit at the same time. It’s jes’ possible. 

“ It’s clear enough to me that the widow 
aint going to get along around this part o’ 
the country. She’ll either be in the poor- 
house, or you an’ me will be takiu’ care o’ the 
family out o’ our own pockets in less than six 
mouths. Now, all I want is to take things in 
time. 

“ I happen to know fer a fac’ that the 
widow’s got relations back in Massachusetts 
that’s tolerable well fixed, an’ if she could be 
quietly got back there, she’d be all right. 
Now, how on arth can it he done ?” 

Tull paused long enough to give his visitor 
time to fully grasp the facts that he had pre- 
sented, but not long enough to enable him to 
make any new suggestions. 

“There’s jes’ two things in the way o’ 
placin’ the widow where she’d he among her 
own kin. One is the money, and the other is 
the woman herself. It would cost consider- 
able, and then jes’ as like as not Mrs. Ambler 
wouldn’t see the need o’ goin’. It’s not quite 


TWO VISITS 


29 


easy to explain to a woman that’s al’ays lived 
comfortable, that she’s likely to be a pauper 
in a few weeks. You kin see that easy enough 
yourself. 

“ Now, that’s the situation, Conner, an’ this 
is jes’ exactly what I’ll do to help. If Mrs. 
Ambler will take your advice fer her own 
good, and go back where she belongs, I’ll 
give her a clear receipt for the quarter’s rent, 
and I’ll give her ten days’ rent free to pack 
up her things.” 

u I’m afraid,” suggested the miller, “ that 
even if she is willing, Mrs. Ambler has not 
the means necessary to take such a journey.” 

This probability seemed to bring Tull to a 
standstill for some minutes, but at length a 
look of sudden resolution came into his face. 

“ See here, Conner, I aint the man to stop 
short in a thing o’ this sort when I’ve got 
started. I’ll buy the widow’s crop o’ wheat — 
that I aint bound to pay a cent for if I don’t 
want to — an’ I’ll pay her enough to take .’em 
all back to Massachusetts in good shape. I 
reckon she’ll see that’s kind o’ handsome 
under all the circumstances.” 

Mr. Conner did not at once respond, and it 
occurred to the landlord that perhaps he had 


30 


HARRY AMBLER 


not yet shown sufficient reasons for such 
generous conduct. To avoid the suspicion of 
some selfish motive, that might arise from an 
act of unjustifiable charity upon his part, he 
hastened to explain. 

“ Of course, Conner, I aint pretending to 
you that I haint got no special interest in the 
thing outside o’ ’comodating the widow. Fer 
I have. If I go ahead an’ put her out o’ the 
house by law, why o’ course there’ll be a lot 
o’ cacklin’ and howlin’ about it, an’ it’ll keep 
up fer a year. Now, I’ve got my feelin’s jes’ 
like the rest, and I don’t like to be misunder- 
stood by my neighbors. I’m willing to spend 
my own money to help them out peaceful an’ 
quiet-like, rather than make any sich trouble.” 

Having now supplied two motives for his 
offer, he felt that they ought to satisfy the 
miller without setting him to looking for any- 
thing deeper. 

Mr. Conner, seeing that there was nothing 
more to be done, promised to explain the offer 
to Mrs. Ambler, and if it was accepted, to in- 
form Mr. Tull at once. He then took his 
leave and, according to promise, was soon at 
the cottage. 

He presented the occurrences just as they 


TWO VISITS 


3 * 


have been laid before the reader. The matter 
was considered, and all of its results taken 
into account. None of the family felt like 
accepting the terms that were laid down by 
the landlord, so it was decided to inform him 
that they preferred to remain at the Crossing 
for the present. 

Naturally they were all very curious as to 
the motives which had operated upon Mr. 
Tull to cause his wish to send them away 
in such haste. As he had already referred to 
them as paupers, Mrs. Ambler was inclined to 
believe that he actually feared that they would 
be unable to support themselves and become 
a charge upon the neighborhood. 

Singularly enough, Mr. Conner still stuck 
to his belief that Tull would not go so far as 
to turn the family out upon the short notice 
already given. Whether or not he could have 
given any reasonable ground for this opinion, 
or merely held on to it because of the difficulty 
to one of his nationality in letting go of an 
opinion, we cannot say. 

When he was going home, Harry followed 
him to the gate. 

“ Now, Harry, don’t let the mother and sis- 
ter fret o’er much about the matter. I make 


32 


HARRY AMBLER 


no doubt there’ll be a deal o’ blustering on 
Friday, but lie’ll na move you out.” 

“ I can’t feel so sure of that, Mr. Conner, 
but we’ll keep up our spirits as well as we 
can, and I have no doubt but it will all come 
out right at last. I’d like mighty well to 
know what makes him want to drive us away 
from the Crossing.” 

“ I can na answer that, lad, and it’s like 
enough that Tull himself doesn’t know,” and 
cracking his whip, the miller was off to the 
Falls. 

In the course of a life which had now reached 
its sixtieth year, Mr. Conner had never made 
a worse guess than this last one. Jeremiah 
Tull did know just exactly why he wanted to 
drive the little family away as far as possible 
from their present home, and his motive was 
neither charity, nor fear of public opinion, nor 
the desire to recover his rent. 

That the reader may understand this motive 
which was so far beyond the grasp of Harry 
Ambler and his honest friend, it now becomes 
necessary to turn to certain events which had 
occurred before the opening of our narrative. 


CHAPTER III 


DISAPPOINTED HOPES 

"DARKER AMBLER was a middle-aged 
New England man who had, about eight 
years before the opening of our narrative, re- 
moved from the stony little homestead in 
Massachusetts to the more fertile and promis- 
ing lands among the eastern foot-hills of the 
Allegheny mountains in Pennsylvania. Here 
he had rented a farm from one of the larger 
land-owners and set to work to build up a 
home for himself and family. 

Like most New England people, the Am- 
blers had a strong desire for independence 
and wanted to own their own home. With 
this purpose in view they had worked indus- 
triously and economized closely for eight 
years, until at last it had seemed as if their 
hopes were about to be realized. Then with- 
out a moment’s warning their cheerful pros- 
pect had been swept from sight in the twink- 
ling of an eye. 

3 


33 


34 


HARRY AMBLER 


A single catastrophe had taken from them 
the husband and father, and at the same time 
robbed them of his and their earnings, and 
left the mother and two children penniless. 
As the circumstances surrounding Mr. Am- 
bler’s death are intimately related to the in- 
cidents of our narrative, we will now briefly 
refer to them. 

During their residence at “Tull’s Crossing,” 
as the settlement was called, Mr. Ambler had 
been able to lay aside nearly three hundred 
dollars a year, which he had sent to Philadel- 
phia for deposit in a savings bank. When 
this with its interest had grown to nearly 
twenty-six hundred dollars it was determined 
to set about the purchase of the home. 

Jeremiah Tull was probably never more 
astonished in his life than on that fine morn- 
ing when his tenant called on him with the 
request that he should fix a price upon the 
farm. The landlord would have very much 
preferred the previous arrangement. He had 
always received a good rent and had it on the 
day that it was due. Moreover, it was the 
opinion of Mr. Tull and others whose judg- 
ment was valuable, that the price of land in 
the locality would increase within the next 


DISAPPOINTED HOPES 35 

few years, and it would have gone hard with 
him to see some one else reap the profit. 

On the other hand, he could not forget that 
the increase in value was only a matter of 
guess-work, and that Mr. Ambler was evi- 
dently ready to pay cash. If Mr. Tull would 
not sell, some one else in the neighborhood 
would be glad to, and he would lose his tenant 
in either event. Upon the whole he concluded 
to sell and “even up on Ambler some other 
way.” The reader need not be told that Mr. 
Tull was not likely to be particular as to the 
exact method by which he should make up his 
imaginary loss. 

It was finally arranged that the two men 
should meet at the town of Mountville upon 
a day named and complete the sale of the 
farm. Mountville was not the county-seat, 
but it was the nearest place at which the deed 
could be drawn and executed. It was situated 
on the line of the railroad and had an express 
office, so that Mr. Ambler was able to have 
his money sent directly to him there and thus 
avoid the risk of keeping so large a sum 
about a farm-house. 

There was no regular lawyer at Mountville, 
but there was a notary by the name of Joshua 


HARRY AMBLER 


36 

Bates, who did a good deal of business of this 
character. His standing was not very good, 
but he was the only one who could be con- 
veniently had, so Mr. Ambler assented to Mr. 
Tull’s suggestion to employ him. He had 
been Mr. Tull’s adviser fora number of years, 
and that gentleman considered him entirely 
satisfactory. So it happened that the two 
men found themselves in Mountville at the 
time fixed, notwithstanding a severe rain- 
storm that had set in the night before. 

Mr. Ambler drew his money and, with an 
elastic step, proceeded to the office of the notary. 
True, the purchase would take all of his earn- 
ings, but then he would be forever secure in a 
home for himself and family. 

He found Mr. Tull and Bates awaiting his 
arrival, and the three men spent nearly an 
hour together in the notary’s office. At the 
end of that time Mr. Ambler came out and at 
once started for home. The distance did not 
exceed four miles, and, under ordinary cir- 
cumstances, the walk would have been a mere 
trifle. Now, however, although the storm had 
lulled, its results were j list being shown in 
the swollen streams. What had been but 
quiet brooks before, had now for the time 
being become dangerous torrents. 


DISAPPOINTED HOPES 


37 


Exactly what occurred will never be known, 
but Mr. Ambler must have somehow lost his 
footing in attempting to cross one of these 
streams, and been carried away. 

His family never saw him again alive. 

The storm soon disappeared, leaving the 
atmosphere clearer and the sky more peace- 
ful for its coming. The next morning, 
Mr. Tull, who had remained in town over 
night, ordered his horse and set out for 
the “ Crossing.” His mood was not of the 
brightness of the sky. The price which 
he had fixed for the farm would have 
seemed large enough to most people, but he 
could not help thinking of the possibility of 
having held it for awhile longer and obtained 
three times the amount. 

Just as he reached Rab’s Run — a consider- 
able stream which crossed the road at the dis- 
tance of about two miles from Mountville — 
he was startled by an apparition in black. A 
small negro boy came dashing along the bank 
of the stream in manifest excitement. 

“What in blazes do you mean blowing over 
into the road in front o’ a man’s horse in that 
’ere style?” demanded Tull, as he regained 
control of his frightened steed. 


3§ 


HARRY AMBLER 


“Dar’s a man right down dar, sail, on de 
bank ob de Run, an’ I’s goin’ ter town ter tell 
de justice, right orf,” and the boy started 
towards Mountville. 

“Wall, what’s the man doing? He aint 
fishing, I reckon, in such a lookin’ stream as 
that.” 

“ Fishin’ ? No sail, de man am drownded.” 

“ Hold on here, Snowdrop,” said Tull, as he 
wheeled his horse across the boy’s path, “ tell 
us all about it. What kind o’ clothes has he 
got on ? ’Taint a kind o’ brown suit is it, 
with a black necktie ?” 

“ It am berry much like dat, sail, berry 
much, indeed.” 

“ How far is it from here ?” 

“Jes’ ’bout half a mile, right on dis hyar 
side of the stream, sah.” 

' “ Wall, now, Johnny, you needn’t give your- 
self any more trouble about it. I’ll jes’ tend 
to the matter o’ telling the justice,” and, turn- 
ing his horse, Tull was soon out of sight, on 
his way back to town. 

The boy was very strongly impressed with 
the belief that he had been deprived of some 
of those “civil rights” of which he had heard 
so much. He had contemplated the appear- 


DISAPPOINTED HOPES 


39 


ance of liis name in large letters at the head 
of the county newspaper in its account of the 
accident. As he saw his news being carried 
off by the object of his own unsuspicious 
confidence, he was tempted to try a cross-cut 
to town on -foot. A glance at the white horse, 
however, as he vanished in the distance, con- 
vinced him that the odds were too much 
against him. He returned to the place of his 
discovery. 

Not finding the situation especially attrac- 
tive, the boy soon wandered further down 
the stream. Climbing to the top of a 
mound of rock somewhat more elevated 
than the rest, the boy found a very com- 
fortable location. The elements had formed 
a considerable hollow upon the top of the 
mound, with the apparent purpose of mak- 
ing a very snug resting-place for one small 
colored boy. The walls were high enough to 
keep off the wind, while the spring sunshine 
fell without obstruction upon the occupant of 
the rocky nest. It fitted Jock to perfection, 
and, curling up like a cat, he was soon lost to 
the pleasures and troubles of this world. 

In the meantime others were not sleeping. 
Tull was not long in reaching Mountville, 


40 


HARRY AMBLER 


and in a few moments more would have per- 
formed his errand with the justice. As he 
approached the office, however, he began to 
slacken his horse’s pace, as if he was not quite 
sure of his own purpose, and then, suddenly- 
turning about, he galloped in the opposite 
direction to the office of Bates, the notary. 
The interview -was brief between the two. 
Mr. Tull soon emerged, and again mounting 
his steed, set out for home. There was now 
no uncertainty in his motions. In a few 
minutes he had galloped back to the point 
where the colored boy had startled his horse 
on the former trip. 

Some little time after Mr. Tull had de- 
parted, the notary hurried to the justice’s 
office and gave notice of the accident. A 
party was sent out as soon as possible to 
secure the remains and gather any informa- 
tion as to the circumstances of the death. 

Jock was suddenly awakened from his sleep 
by the snapping of dried twigs, and, raising 
himself upon his knees, he cautiously peeped 
over the wall of his little watch-tower. His 
surprise was great when he beheld the very 
man whom he had so recently left on the 
Mountville road. His surprise was still 


DISAPPOINTED HOPES 


41 


greater when he observed the man’s actions. 
He was standing near the body of the drowned 
man and was holding in his hand a large 
brown envelope. This article was evidently 
giving him some anxiety. 

He first tried to put it into his coat pocket, 
but it was so large that the idea was soon 
abandoned. He next opened the envelope and 
took out its contents — a large document of 
some kind. Stooping down so that he was 
partially concealed from view, he endeavored 
to burn the paper, as Jock could make out 
from the small wreaths of smoke that circled 
about the spot. It must have been too damp 
for burning, for the man arose after awhile 
with a gesture of impatience. The paper was 
somewhat blackened by the smoke, but no 
part of it was destroyed. 

The man’s impatience now seemed to in- 
crease, and he drew out his watch as if time 
was a matter of importance to him. Suddenly, 
in the midst of his uncertainty, his attention 
seemed to become riveted upon the stream 
that was dashing and boiling past him, almost 
at his very feet. Advancing hastily to the 
water’s edge, he grasped the mysterious enve- 
lope and tore it in two. The next moment he 


42 


HARRY AMBLER 


flung tlie fragments into the thickest of the 
boiling current. For a few seconds he stood 
and watched them. Disappearing at first, they 
came to the surface once or twice, and then 
seeming to yield to the inevitable, they 
vanished from his sight. Their destruction 
seemed as certain as was that of the little 
clusters of bubbles that formed for an instant 
about them, and then burst into nothingness 
beneath his gaze. A look of satisfaction set- 
tled on his face. His purpose was apparently 
accomplished. Mounting his horse, he has- 
tened up the creek to the crossing of the 
Mountville road. 

The black curly head arose higher above 
the wall. The white teeth shone in the sun- 
light, as the lips parted, and from somewhere 
in the boy’s throat came the indefinable but 
emphatic word, “golly.” 



HE FLUNG THE FRAGMENTS INTO THE THICKEST OF THE 

BOILING CURRENT 




0 














0 



















CHAPTER IV 


jock’s luck 


HE contented horseman had hardly gotten 



under way when Jock dropped from his 
perch to the ground, very much as a fright- 
ened bull-frog might respond to the argu- 
ments of a boy with a sling. His eyes had 
been fixed upon the fugitive papers as they 
came down the stream. 

Sometimes they would be churned up and 
down in some rocky caldron until it would 
seem that the words written upon their sur- 
face must be shaken back into a senseless 
chaos of letters. Now the current would 
carry them to one bank, and now to. the other. 
Then they would separate and follow both 
banks at once. This latter movement was ex- 
ceedingly embarrassing to Jock, who had the 
misfortune, under the circumstances, of being 
straight of vision. 

He raced along the bank, however, ready 
to take advantage of any lucky accident 


45 


46 


HARRY AMBLER 


which might enable him to rescue from the 
current the mysterious paper that had seemed 
so troublesome to its last possessor. Bvery 
once in awhile he would make a dash to the 
water’s edge as one or other of the fragments 
swept towards him, but by the time he had 
gained a favorable position, the object of his 
pursuit would have returned to the swifter 
water and be off down the stream. At length 
the boy had the good fortune to secure a pole 
that lay along his path. Then one of the 
pieces of paper floated into an eddy and, for 
the present at least, withdrew from the race. 

Jock saw that his fortune was improving, 
and he renewed his efforts. 

“ Dat’s right. You jes’ stick to de flyin’ 
hosses fer awhile an’ I’ll come back an’ took’d 
yer off,” he called to the paper that was cir- 
cling in the eddy as he shot off after its more 
fortunate companion. 

Just ahead of them was a point at which 
the banks of the stream came so close to- 
gether that Jock’s pole would certainly reach 
the desired object. Increasing his speed, he 
had his pole in position to be of most use by 
the time it was needed. At the proper mo- 
ment a twist and a jerk landed his singular 


jock’s luck 


47 


game safely on the bank. Its companion was 
an easy prey, and Jock soon had both pieces 
spread out upon the surface of a flat rock for 
examination. 

Fortunately the paper was thick and strong 
and was consequently more injured in appear- 
ance than in substance. Jock set about inves- 
tigating his prize. He easily succeeded in 
fitting the two parts together, but at this early 
point his efforts as a translator came to a sud- 
den termination. 

He examined with interest the various 
forms of written and printed letters which ap- 
peared upon the paper. They were all equally 
beyond his grasp. He carefully turned the 
paper upside down and then went around to 
the other side of the stone. It looked much 
the same as before. Then, giving up for the 
present, he folded the paper for convenience 
in carrying, and proceeded up the stream to- 
wards the starting point of the race. 

“ I’ll jes’ han’ you fellers ober to Marm. 
She’ll fin’ you out. Anyway, I guess yo’ 
wasn’t ’tended to be drownded, no more than 
burned.” 

With this highly creditable line of reason- 
ing Jock returned towards his first point of 


48 


HARRY AMBLER 


discovery. As he approached he heard the 
sound of voices and saw that a party of men, 
having with them a horse and wagon, had 
taken possession of the remains. 

“Wonder ef dem gent’mens hab got any 
mo’ prope’ty to frow away. Guess I’ll jes’ 
keep close an’ see ’bout dat ’are.” 

He accordingly hid himself among the 
rocks and bushes near enough for profitable 
observation. Some of the party had crossed 
the run in search of anything which might 
shed light on the circumstances of the acci- 
dent. The two parties continued to talk back 
and forth across the creek, and as Jock was 
nearer to each party than they were to each 
other, he fairly considered himself included 
in the conversation. He was, however, con- 
tent to remain a modest listener. 

“ Say, Jim,” called out one of the party, 
“ oughtn’t we to catch the fellow who first 
found the body, and take him in to the lock- 
up ? You know Bates says that the man had 
over two thousand dollars on him when he 
left Mountville, and whoever found him will 
have to account for that money or go to jail 
until he can show that he didn’t get it.” 

“ That’s so ; but I don’t remember who 


jock’s luck 49 

Bates said brought in the news, and anyway, 
I reckon we can get him if he’s wanted.” 

As he heard these sinister suggestions Jock 
dropped flat on the ground and didn’t move 
a kink or a toe until the sound of departing 
wheels assured him that the coast was clear. 

“ Golly me, but dis chil’ hab good luck. 
Lock Jock up ’til he ’count fer two thousan’ 
dollars ? Reck’n ef he’d gone to town wid de 
news dis hyar chil’ been in jail fer life dis 
berry minit.” 

We may here add that Jock was not at the 
inquest on the following day. 

On that occasion there was of course no 
direct information as to the circumstances of 
Mr. Ambler’s death, but from all the facts 
there was no room for doubt that it was a case 
of accidental drowning. The evidence of Mr. 
Tull and the notary did, however, shed some 
new light upon the transaction which had 
taken Mr. Ambler to town. 

They both explained that when, in drawing 
the deed, Mr. Bates reached the place for men- 
tioning the number of acres that was to be 
transferred for the price agreed upon, a differ- 
ence of opinion arose. Mr. Tull said that it was 
one hundred and three acres, while Mr. Ambler 

4 


50 


HARRY AMBLER 


thought he was to receive ten acres more. 
After discussing the matter for some time 
they were unable to agree, and Mr. Ambler 
left the office, and started for home. While 
they did not see Mr. Ambler’s money, they 
knew that he had drawn it from the express 
office and had it with him at the office of the 
notary. 

Mr. Tull explained that he had received 
his first news, as to the death, from a colored 
boy who had found the body. He did not 
know the boy’s name, but had seen him before, 
and believed that he would recognize him if 
he met him again. 

Of course the death created a sensation in 
the neighborhood, as Mr. Ambler was becom- 
ing well and favorably known in his new 
home. As to the loss of the money there 
were two theories. One was that it had been 
swept away by the swift current of Rab’s Run, 
and the other that it had been stolen by the 
unknown colored boy who first found the 
body. Unfortunately the last of these theories 
was the one which prevailed with the Union 
Bugle , in its account of the inquest the next 
day. 

Now, the reader has already learned that Jock 


jock’s kuck 


51 


was not much of a scholar himself, though he 
had unlimited confidence in “Marm” — as he 
called the old colored woman who had, up 
to this time, conducted his youthful steps 
towards greatness. So it happened that the 
boy made it his business on the day following 
the inquest to get a copy of the Bugle and 
leave it in Marm’s way. He then awaited 
results. He had not yet told her of his part 
in the discovery, and thought it wise to first 
learn the ideas of the Bugle upon the subject. 
The torn paper, which he had rescued from 
the creek, lay carefully concealed under his 
mattress in the attic. 

Now, we are sorry to be obliged to admit 
that Jock’s estimate of Marm’s literary ability 
was considerably too high. About the best 
that could be truthfully said of the old lady 
was that on a clear day and at close range she 
could attack the average circus poster with a 
very fair chance of success. It must be fur- 
ther said to her credit that she was always 
ready to undertake any “ bit o’ reading wo’k” 
that came in her way. 

The great head-lines soon attracted her at- 
tention, and she seated herself on the back 
step with the paper spread across her knees. 


52 


HARRY AMBLER 


Jock was busy scouring knives by the simple 
method of repeatedly plunging them into the 
soft earth just by the door. 

After a few moments of silent perusal of 
the paper, Marm broke out : 

“Look a hyar, picanniny. What you s’pose 
is gon’ an’ happened right down in de Run?” 

“ Reck’n de water oberflowed the banks. It 
war ’mighty high sine’ de rain,” replied Jock, 
with as much unconcern as he could muster. 

“No, sah. Yu’ s’pose dey put all dem big 
letters at de top jes’ fer de high water in de 
crick ? Da’s been a man drownded, an’ his 
money was all tuck away, too. Dat am the 
Bible truf.” 

Jock left the knife he was cleaning sticking 
in the ground, and coming up to Marm, tried 
to make something out of the great black 
letters. 

“ Why, chil’, jes’ you lis’n to dis hyar.” 

“ ‘ The unfortunate man robbed of over two 
thousand dollars.’ ‘ The evidence points to 
the Negro boy who discovered the body as the 
thief.’ ‘ He is not yet in custody but will be 
apprehended within a day or two.’ ” Marm 
read these headlines very slowly, sometimes 
stopping to spell the longer words. 


jock’s luck 


53 


“ Da, Jock ; I jes’ bet dat’s some ob dem 
Bramble Town darkies what’s gone an’ done 
dat.” 

“ What’s ‘ apperhended ’ mean, Marm ?” 
asked the boy without seeming to notice the 
reflection on their Bramble Town neighbors. 

“Apperhended ? Why apperhended means 
tuck up by the sheriff and put in jail, an’ 
sometimes hungd, ef it’s fer som’thin’ pretty 
bad.” 

The woman gave her answer in entire un- 
consciousness of the real terror which her 
words were bringing to the little black form 
by her side. 

When Jock had finished his task he stole 
away to the woods to puzzle his frightened 
little brain over the trouble that he saw ahead 
of him. It must be remembered that his life 
and experience had not been such as to give 
him that confidence in the final victory of the 
right which is sometimes but not always, found 
among the more enlightened. He felt the full 
force of the circumstances which pointed to 
him — a friendless little waif — as the thief, but 
he saw no hopeful way to meet them. 

He wandered around until nearly noon, 
when he returned once more towards the 


54 


HARRY AMBLER 


cabin. Before leaving tlie woods lie cautiously 
took a survey of the situation, and his caution 
was fully justified by the facts. At the cabin 
there were no less than three horsemen, and 
Jock could tell from Marm’s manner that 
their errand was of an exciting character. 
The leader of the party, who seemed to be 
threatening somebody or something very vio- 
lently, was the same man whom the boy had 
encountered oil the road and who had after- 
wards torn up the mysterious paper at the 
creek. 

Jock had been born a slave, although Lin- 
coln’s pen had shattered his chains before he 
had fairly felt their weight. Marm, the slave 
companion of his dead mother, had brought 
the baby north to freedom. She had been a 
most faithful guardian, but she could teach 
him nothing of the equality of human rights 
beyond the results of her own experience. 

It is not then to be wondered at that Jock 
trembled with fear as he beheld the mounted 
party at the cabin. He knew that their errand 
must be his arrest, and his own terror and 
Marm’s words had so magnified the possibili- 
ties of the penalty that he saw his only hope 
in immediate flight. 


jock’s luck 


55 


Turning liis back on the only home he had 
ever known, he fled as fast and as far as he 
could. That night he found refuge in a de- 
serted barn, miles away from the little cabin, 
and on the morrow, driven onward by the 
same terror, he trudged forward towards the 
rising sun and an unknown future. 

Jock is not the hero of our story, and we 
shall not follow his uncertain footsteps to the 
great city into whose tide of humanity he 
plunged at last. We must remember, how- 
ever, that he has become entangled in the 
events of our narrative through no fault of 
his own. Let us, therefore, wish for him a 
safe deliverance from the dangers of ignorance, 
poverty, and crime which must of necessity 
surround his future pathway. May he at last 
find light. 


CHAPTER V 


SECRETS 

J EREMIAH TULL and Joshua Bates were 
in some respects very different men, and 
yet they had for years been on terms of the 
closest intimacy. Tull had been a remark- 
ably successful man in the accumulation of 
property, while Bates would have been hard 
pushed to raise a hundred dollars of his own. 

Tull’s wealth, it is true, had seemed to come 
from accidental causes. Years ago he had 
purchased, at trifling cost, a large tract of 
land, which had since then increased in value 
on his hands. The development of the farm- 
ing and lumber industries had caused a settle- 
ment to spring up on his land, and finally 
the government had established a post-office 
at “Tull’s Crossing.” 

It is needless to add that these combined 
causes had made Mr. Tull a man of promi- 
nence in the neighborhood. He had already 
held the various petty offices of the township, 
56 


SECRETS 


57 


and at the opening of our narrative he was 
looking upward. As he expressed it, he “was 
bein’ spoke of fer Harrisburg,” which meant 
that he was doing his level best to be elected 
to the legislature. 

Now, Mr. Tull was unusually wise in one 
respect. He was aware that as a cold matter 
of fact he didn’t know very much, or, to quote 
his own words once more, he “ never could see 
a idee mor’n a mile ahead.” 

Joshua Bates, on the other hand, was a man 
of quick thought, and could reach the proba- 
ble result of a line of events while Tull was 
getting ready to think about them. 

So it happened that Tull was Bates’s most 
valuable client. It had been years since he 
had taken any important step in business 
without the notary’s advice. If Bates pointed 
out a scheme by which Tull could reap a 
profit, the latter would adopt it with confi- 
dence and follow it boldly. Neither of these 
men was troubled with a conscience. If it is 
imaginable that Tull should under any cir- 
cumstances decline to follow any profitable 
line of action upon merely moral grounds, we 
can only say that up to the opening of our 
story no such awkward situation had arisen. 


58 


HARRY AMBLER 


When satisfied that a particular course would 
result to his profit, Jeremiah Tull became 
active, persistent, and unscrupulous, although 
under ordinary circumstances he was inclined 
to be rather sluggish in action as well as 
thought. 

Now, when Tull met the negro boy, Jock, 
on the road, and learned of Mr. Ambler’s 
death, his first thought was as to the possi- 
bility of the catastrophe being turned to his 
own advantage. The question had occupied 
his mind all the way back to Mountville, but 
he had failed to work out any satisfactory 
answer. Just before he reached the justice’s 
office he had, as the reader will remember, 
concluded to consult Bates. 

As soon, however, as Tull had imparted his 
startling information to the notary, the latter 
began to see very definitely how the situation 
might be made profitable to both his client 
and himself. 

Partly from the peculiar character of their 
transactions, and partly from the fact that 
Tull seemed to take ideas more easily when 
put at him in that way, these two men had 
formed the habit of discussing their affairs 
very indirectly. As somebody had once said, 


SECRETS 


59 


if Bates desired to remark to Tull that it was 
a “ fine day,” he would probably say “ that if 
to-morrow turns out like this it’ll be mighty 
pleasant weather.” They did not depart from 
their usual method upon this occasion. 

“Well, Mr. Tull, if a professional man 
does his client a favor, even if it aint in the 
line o’ business, and it happens to bring a 
good big piece of property to the client, how 
much do you think the attorney ought to be 
paid — -just as a general question, now?” 

“Wall,” said the other, reflectively, but not 
at all surprised at the sudden turn that Bates 
had given to the conversation, “ wall, I reckon, 
five per cent, of the vally o’ the property ’d 
be about the thing. How’s that strike you ?” 

“ It ought to be ten per cent., Tull, on my 
word it ought. Not a cent less.” 

“Ef the p’int was a extra good one, Bates, 
p’raps it ought.” 

This was about the way they usually settled 
the question of fees. 

“ Why, that’s awful sudden news about 
Ambler,” remarked Bates, again giving the 
conversation a sudden turn. 

“ Well, well, if that aint about as singular 
a state of affairs as a man often sees,” he re- 


6o 


HARRY AMBLER 


marked a moment later, as if a new idea had 
just struck him with considerable force. 

“ What’s that, Josh ?” queried Mr. Tull. 

“Why, just you look at it yourself. What 
an awfully queer thing it would be if Ambler 
should happen not to have that deed about 
him when the body’s brought in. It would 
be the most remarkable situation that I ever 
saw. You see the deed aint on record yet, 
and I was the only witness. Not another 
living soul except you and me knows for cer- 
tain that it was made. Now if the deed itself 
got lost, why, as far as I can see, you’d still 
be the owner of the farm. Queer, aint it ?” 

“ Why, y-e-s ; I’m blamed ef it aint. But 
I say, Josh, what about that money ? Of 
course they won’t — that is, they may not find 
that money on him that he drawed from th’ 
express office. How ’bout that ?” 

“Well, suppose they don’t. The nigger 
must have taken it. Don’t it seem that way 
to you ? If anybody don’t think that he took 
it, why then they’ll know that the current was 
mighty swift in Rab’s Run, and it washed the 
money clean away. That seems very likely 
to me.” 

Bates threw out these suggestions in an off- 


SECRETS 


6 1 


hand manner that seemed to indicate that he 
had a dozen more which were just as good, 
but that he didn’t consider it worth while to 
mention them unless they were called for. 

“ Besides which,” he resumed, “ we’re not 
bound to account for the money. The fact is, 
as you know, the deal for the land fell through, 
and Ambler went away and took his money 
with him. We don’t know where it is now.” 

He made this last assertion in such seeming 
good faith that it even deceived and alarmed 
Tull for a second. The latter clapped his 
hand on his coat pocket to assure himself 
that nothing was lost. The moment was 
slightly embarrassing, but Bates looked out 
of the window and Tull turned his action into 
a search for his handkerchief. There was not 
much time to be wasted in talk, and Tull was 
soon on the road again. 

The reader already knows the practical re- 
sult of this interview in the scene at Rab’s 
Run. 

After the inquest was over the two men had 
another meeting which had likewise an im- 
portant bearing upon the events of our narra- 
tive. Bates was sitting with his chair tilted 
back and his feet lodged against the edge of 


62 


HARRY AMBLER 


liis desk. When Mr. Tull entered, the notary 
motioned him to close the door and be seated. 

“ Where is it ?” asked Bates. 

“ All soaked to pieces in Rab’s Run by this 
time. I tore it up and threw it in the creek.” 

“ Tull, you don’t mean to say that you 
actually threw that deed away after you once 
got hold of it ?” asked the other, in evident 
irritation. 

“ Oh, now you needn’t cackle about that,” 
replied Tull, not at all relishing the attack. 
“ What’d you want me to do with it — eat it ? 
The blamed thing wouldn’t go into my pocket, 
and I weren’t quite green enough to carry it 
around in my hand. I tried to burn it, but it 
was no go. I jest tore it to pieces and thro wed 
it into the b’ilin’ stream. Why, I almost seen 
it go to pieces while I was standin’ there.” 

As Tull recalled the appearance of the 
water as he had tossed the fragments of the 
deed to its tender mercies, he lost all patience 
with Bates’s quibbling. 

“ This here’s all woman nonsense, Josh. 
There aint enough o’ that paper sticking to- 
gether to make a spit-ball for a scliool-boy. 
Thare’s somethin’ else you was wantin’ to 
talk about, wasn’t there ?” 


SECRETS 63 

“ Yes, there is. I reckon on the whole that 
deed won’t trouble us any more.” 

“ Well, I should say not,” again retorted 
Tull, by way of a final nail. “ It aint no 
more chance than a mealy potato in a pot o’ 
b’ilin’ water.” 

“ But,” began Bates, in a more serious tone, 
a let’s just suppose a case.” 

Mr. Tull was so accustomed to this kind of 
an introduction to business of real import- 
ance that his attention was fixed in a minute. 

“ Suppose you had wanted to buy a piece of 
ground for a good while and at last you’d got 
it, and paid for it, and had the deed in your 
pocket. Now if you were going home to tell 
your family about it, and were thinking about 
it every second of the time you were on the 
road, and should happen to meet somebody 
that you knew — perhaps only one man, or 
perhaps a dozen — what would you be likely to 
say ?” 

“ I see what you’re arter, without follerin’ 
that up, Josh,” responded Tull slowly, in a 
tone that showed that he realized the possible 
danger at which Bates had been hinting. “ I 
reckon, Josh, I’d up and tell them all about the 
land I’d just bought — I’ve no doubt I would.” 


6 4 


HARRY AMBLER 


“And show them the new deed, wouldn’t 
you ?” 

“Just as like as not, Josh. It’d seem very 
nat’ral.” 

“Well, now, to cut it short, Ambler is pretty 
sure to have acted just as you or any other 
man would have done under the same circum- 
stances.” 

“ Yes, ef he’d happened to meet anybody, 
but lucky enough — ” 

“He did meet somebody !' 1 ' 1 interrupted the 
notary. 

Tull was paralyzed by this sudden turn of 
affairs, and sat for some time silently staring 
at Bates. Tike most dangers which are not 
seen until we are close upon them, this one 
looked larger than life-size as it suddenly 
came in sight. 

After the notary felt that his client was 
sufficiently frightened to undertake the line of 
action that he thought necessary, he resumed 
the conversation. The fact is that Bates was 
as much alarmed as Tull, only with him fear 
meant action instead of stupidity. 

“ Now look here, Jerry,” said he, dropping 
his feet to the floor and drawing his chair up 
to the desk with an air of business, “ you 


secrets 


65 


understand as well as I do that we can’t afford 
to sit still and let somebody find out what 
we’ve been at.” 

“ Of course we can’t.” 

“ Then you must do something.” 

“ Wall, what on arth kin I do ?” 

“ Now I’ll tell you, and if you go at it 
right and stick to it, as I know you can, the 
thing will be all straight. In the first place, I 
don’t know who it was that met Ambler on 
the road, or whether or not he met more than 
one, and it won’t do to ask any questions on 
the subject. 

The real danger is this. Whoever it was 
is likely any day to meet the widow or one of 
the children and tell them how he saw Ambler 
on the very day he was drowned, and how 
Ambler told about his new farm and showed 
the deed he’d j ust got. Then where’d we be ?” 

“ It’d look mighty rough, there’s no denyin’ 
that.” 

“ I should say it would. Now we can’t 
drive off whoever it was that met Ambler, but 
you can drive off the widow and children so 
that there won’t be any chance of their ever 
hearing anything about anybody having seen 
the deed. Now, to put it just the way it really 

5 


66 


HARRY AMBLER 


stands, Tull, your money and your reputa- 
tion aint safe until that’s been done. In fact, 
there’s no telling how a criminal court and 
jury might look at the thing if you should 
ever happen to be arrested for taking the deed.” 

“ It’s no use talking about that, Bates ; it 
aint coming to that. But how kin I drive off 
the Amblers? They’ve got a lease on the 
place.” 

“ Easy enough if you know that it’s got to 
be done, and go at it accordingly. I’ll get you 
up a notice to serve on the widow, insisting 
on the rent on the quarter day, or the posses- 
sion of the place. She can’t pay, of course. 
Then you can take a charitable streak and let 
her off from the rent and help her to go back 
to her folks in Massachusetts besides. Pay 
them something if it comes to that. 

“ If that don’t happen to work, why you 
can frighten them, or you can get up some- 
thing on the boy that will break him all up. 
If he was caught stealing, for instance, I 
guess they’d all be glad to try some other 
locality. There’s lots of ways of working the 
thing.” 

“ That’ll do, Josh. You jest draw up the 
notice and I’ll put the thing through. It 


SECRETS 


67 


won’t do to liav’ a risk like that a-hangin’ 
over us fer all time. I’ll take the bull by the 
horns,” and Tull’s manner showed more of 
quiet determination than at any other time 
during the conversation. Bates knew his man 
well, and he was satisfied that the war had 
begun in earnest. 

“Now, Jerry, there’s one thing more. We 
ought to make a fuss about that lost money. 
Suppose you and I, and one or two others, 
start out on horseback to catch that little 
nigger that everybody knows took the cash. 
It don’t make much difference whether we find 
him or another one. You can threaten him 
all the same, and just as like as not he’ll run 
away. If the little imp will do that the thing 
will be in fine shape.” 

“All right. I’m with you in anything 
that’s needed, and I rather guess I can do the 
necessary threatenin’ in pretty good style.” 

The scheme for hunting for Jock was 
promptly put into execution with most re- 
markable success. The boy’s departure was 
accepted on all sides as a confession of guilt. 
Marm alone believed him innocent, and even 
she, was unable to account for his singular 
departure. 


68 


HARRY AMBLER 


The more important undertaking of driving 
Mrs. Ambler and her two children away from 
the Crossing required time. The reader has 
already witnessed the first step. We need 
only add that Mr. Tull was not a man to easily 
abandon any scheme involving his own gain. 
When to this motive we add the fear of dis- 
covery in crime, it is evident that the future 
of the widow and children was not likely to 
be one of comfort. 

The odds seemed to be all against them. 


CHAPTER VI 


TURNED OUT 


HESE explanations of the secret causes, 



which were back of the landlord’s sud- 
den change of manner towards the Ambler 
family, will also make clear his future conduct. 

Friday morning came soon enough to the 
little group, who were still uncertain where 
the setting sun would leave them. Mr. Con- 
ner, it is true, had continued his assurance 
that Tull would not carry his threat into 
execution — at least not without longer notice. 
Yet they dreaded the day. 

The mother and daughter moved silently 
about their accustomed duties, carefully avoid- 
ing any reference to the fear which they both 
felt so keenly. Yet their very silence under 
the circumstances kept their minds more con- 
stantly on the subject. 

That this was true, would have been easily 
proven to an observer by the repeated and 
anxious glances which each cast up the road 


69 


70 


HARRY AMBLER 


when the back of her companion chanced to 
be turned for a moment. 

Perhaps the most painful feeling of all came 
to Nellie as she found herself setting the table 
for the noon meal, as she had done for years 
before. Like a dark cloud that suddenly 
sweeps over the face of the sun, came the 
thought that if Mr. Tull kept his threat they 
would have to undo even the present work of 
her hands, and go forth, she knew not whither, 
before their next meal was eaten. Harry was 
busy out-of-doors, and was not under quite 
such a strain, yet even he found himself sud- 
denly wondering why he was cutting wood. 

There was no such anxiety at the Tull resi- 
dence. The old man had concluded not to 
accompany the constable, and had, therefore, 
delegated his authority to Ned, his son, to 
whom he was just giving some parting advice. 

“Now, look here, Ned,” he was saying, 
“ when you first get there be pretty rough, as 
if you meant business and nothing else, you 
understand. Move out some o’ the duds 
without stoppin’ to jaw with the ol’ woman. 
By the time you’ve made a trip or so, I reckon, 
she’ll have some favors to ask, and then you’ll 
have a chance to dicker. Don’t be too anxious 


TURNED OUT 


7 1 


about it. After awbile, though, when you get 
a good chance jum can make a sort o’ offer to 
let them have ten days’ rent free, pervided 
they’re all to go back to Massachusetts, or to 
some other place out of Pennsylvany.” 

“ S’pose they aint got no money to go with?” 
queried Ned. 

“Wall, I’ll give ’em enough fer their crop 
to take ’em off ; but go mighty slow about 
promisin’ money. You ketch the idee?” 

“ Yep, I understand all that,” responded the 
other. 

Presently Ned asked what he should do if 
there was any resistance. 

“ Oh ! they won’t make no trouble o’ that 
kind. The constable will take care o’ that.” 

“ Tell yo’ what it is, dad, I’d mighty well 
like to lick that boy afore they git out o’ the 
neighborhood. He’s the most stuck-up feller 
fer poor trash I ever seen. If he puts in his 
oar to-day I’ll punch his head sure as 
shootin’.” 

“ He’s pretty sassy, that’s a fac’, and under 
gen’ral carcumstances I’d hav’ no objection to 
your whalin’ him, but to-day you jes’ hold yer- 
self in. It might interfere with my plans. 
You’ll have a chance yet.” 


7 2 


HARRY AMBLER 


The warlike son finally promised his sire 
that for the time being he would restrain his 
thirst for battle, and, mounting his horse, he 
joined Job Firth, the constable, and the col- 
ored man Pete, who had been employed to 
assist with the lifting. The party proceeded 
at once to the cottage. 

Mrs. Ambler and Nellie caught sight of the 
constable’s buggy at the same moment and 
easily recognized the accompanying horseman. 

Singularly enough Mrs. Ambler’s nervous- 
ness disappeared when her fears had become 
a certainty. As she recognized Ned Tull, 
however, she felt that there was danger that 
Harry might lose his self-control and get into 
some encounter which would injure himself, 
and accomplish no good result. 

A glance at her boy’s compressed lips and 
flushed cheeks did not reassure her. Crossing 
the room she placed her arm about him. 

“Remember, Harry, you are the only pro- 
tector left to Nellie and me. You must be 
wise. Nothing that these people will do can 
hurt us much, but a rash act of yours might 
give us a lifetime of regret.” 

The boy’s look softened as it rested upon 
his mother. He was very proud of her, and 


TURNED OUT 


73 


he realized that her quiet courage was far 
more grand than any deeds of physical 
prowess that would come in his way on that 
day. 

“ Don’t fear, mother. Unless things go 
worse than I expect, I sha’n’t take any part 
to-day. Our time will come.” 

The official party had now arrived, and Ned 
Tull lost no time in useless delay. He 
knocked at the door with cheerful promptness, 
and did not indulge in friendly greetings of 
any kind when it was opened. 

“I’ve come fer the rent. Seventy-five dol- 
lars.” 

“ I’m very sorry, but I have not been able 
to get the money, even by borrowing. You 
know what terrible sorrow has come upon us 
within the last — ” 

“Well, now, you can jes’ knock right off 
on that tune in the beginning. The bad luck 
dodge don’t work on me, nor dad neither. He 
didn’t drowned yer man, an’ he says he aiut 
goin’ to let yo’ make yer high-toned funeral 
expenses no excuse fer cheating him out o’ 
his rent.” 

The coarseness of this speech stung Mrs. 
Ambler to the quick, but with rare presence 


74 


HARRY AMBLER 


of mind she turned towards Harry, just in 
time to help him keep his promise of peace. 
Even the constable, to whom coarse speech 
was no novelty, felt the unnecessary brutality 
of Ned’s words, and showed strong signs of 
impatience. 

“ I s’pose we come here fer business, and I’d 
be glad to git it done,” growled he. 

“Well, then pitch right in, nobody’s holdin’ 
you, be they ?” and Ned set the example by 
commencing to remove the dishes, preparatory 
to taking out the table. 

“ Here, Pete, jest hook on here and we’ll 
land her over the fence in a second and a 
half.” 

As the table was being moved, Ned, who 
was backing towards the door, stumbled against 
an old chair. Instead of pushing it to one 
side he gave it a kick that sent it against the 
wall and demolished one of its legs. 

“ That rubbish might as well go out in two 
pieces as one,” said he, with a sneer. 

My young readers may not easily under- 
stand how anybody could have their feelings 
very much hurt by rough treatment or harsh 
language applied to an old chair, which was 
certainly neither very valuable nor ornamen- 


TURNED OUT 


75 


tal. Yet Mrs. Ambler felt the tears start to 
her eyes as she looked at the wreck. She re- 
membered the evening her husband had spent 
in making that chair when they first came to 
the “ Crossing/’ and felt too poor to expend a 
dollar that might be saved by their own work. 
They had both laughed at its clumsy appear- 
ance when it was done, but it had served them 
faithfully ever since, and she would have 
handled it tenderly in memory of the past. 

At the sight of this rough destruction of 
their home, Nellie broke down. 

“ Oh, Mr. Tull! must we go? won’t your 
father give us just a little more time ? I’m 
sure we can get the rent somehow.” 

Ned thought that this was probably his best 
chance to follow out the instructions about 
which his father had been so particular. So 
he paused in his work. 

“ Well, now, dad tol’ me to say this here to 
you people. If the hull lot o’ you’ll git out 
o’ this neighborhood fer good and never show 
your faces here ag’in, why he’ll give yu ten 
days to git yer duds together, an’ he’ll let the 
rent go. Them’s his best terms — only except 
this, ef you’re all so poor you’d have to beg 
your way, why he’ll get tickets fer ye. That’s 
his best.” 


76 


HARRY AMBLER 


He paused to allow the full size of the offer 
to be understood. Ned had intended to comply 
faithfully with his father’s directions, but it 
will be seen that he had certainly not pre- 
sented the matter in a very persuasive form. 

Harry took it upon himself to reply. 

“Tell your father that we don’t see any 
good reason for running away from the place 
in which we’ve lived so long. We’ll stay here 
and be respected long after people have found 
out what kind of a man he is.” 

“ Look here, young fellow, you’d jest better 
hold yer jaw, er it may git hurt. When I 
want to hear from you why I’ll speak to you. 
How is it, mam — do you go or stay ?” 

“I can see no good reason for our going 
away, so soon at any rate. Why does your 
father wish it ?” 

Ned was not prepared to answer this ques- 
tion. In point of fact he had been puzzling 
over the very same query. He had a response, 
however, which he took great pleasure in mak- 
ing, not so much for its truth as for its appli- 
cation. 

“Why, he don’t like that cub’s sass,” point- 
ing with his thumb at Harry. “ He says he’s 
a disgrace to the place, an’ he’s right, too.” 


TURNED OUT 


77 


“We will not leave the neighborhood,” re- 
sponded Mrs. Ambler, quietly, but with a de- 
cision which at once made it clear even to Ned 
that the matter was settled. 

“Job, move the rest o’ this truck out o’ 
here double quick. Don’t waste no time 
lookin’ fer soft spots to drop the things.” 

The constable was glad to get down to busi- 
ness, and he now set to work in real earnest 
to perform his duty according to law. He, 
however, took occasion to suggest to Mrs. 
Ambler that she should get together such of 
her smaller articles as were most valuable, to 
avoid the danger of loss or injury. She gladly 
acted upon this hint, as it enabled herself and 
children to keep employed, thus avoiding the 
pain that would have been caused by standing 
idly by and witnessing that which they could 
not help. 

Ned Tull made himself boisterously active 
in giving orders, and seemed to have at his 
command an unlimited number of contemptu- 
ous expressions. 

In his language, the contents of the bureau 
drawers were “ trash,” the kitchen utensils 
were “ rubbish,” and the bed clothing was 
“ rags.” 


78 


HARRY AMBLER 


Fortunately this state of things did not last 
long. The constable was naturally anxious 
to make short work of a disagreeable job. 

Fortunately, also, the wagon of the miller 
was now seen coming down the road at a rate 
that was entirely new in the history of the 
little bay mare. Mr. Conner had but little to 
say. Indeed, when he recalled the confidence 
of his prediction that the landlord would not 
do exactly what he had done, he did not see 
much that he could say. He was, however, 
ready enough to act, which was more to the 
point. Hastily greeting Mrs. Ambler and 
Nellie, he turned to Harry. 

“ Lend a hand here, my lad, and we’ll put 
this table into the wagon in short order. 
You’re all going right along with me.” 

By this time the house was empty, and the 
constable turned over the keys to Ned Tull. 

“ There, I reckon that ’are writ’s sarved, 
an’ there’s your possession o’ the premises.” 

“ Yep, she’s all right now, an’ by the bye, 
Firth, jest notice the time. It’s not quite a 
quarter arter eleven, and your time’s your 
own. Don’t try to charge it onto the ol’ man, 
he won’t stand it. You’re free to be doin’ 
whatever yo’ want to.” 


TURNED OUT 


79 


That ’are’s all right. Me an’ the ol’ man 
won’t split on the fees,” and the constable and 
his helper sauntered out towards the gate. 

A minute later, and Ned opened his eyes in 
astonishment and disgust. Firth and Pete 
had each laid aside their coats and were help- 
ing the miller to load the household furniture 
into his wagon. Nor was Ned’s humor im- 
proved by the appearance at this time of Tom 
Tabor, one of Harry’s school friends, who had 
chanced to be driving by. As soon as Tom 
understood the situation, he insisted upon 
having a load. The result was that in a very 
few minutes the two wagons, with all of the 
household furniture and the family, were 
moving quietly up the road. 

“ By gingo !” muttered Ned, as he viewed 
the departing procession, “ this here won’t 
suit the old man fer a cent. Why, blame it 
all, it looks jes’ as if the widder was a-goin’ 
to hav’ moved anyway to-day without payin’ 
“no rent, an’ she’s worked it on dad mighty 
slick. She’s got him to send the constable 
an’ a nigger an’ me to tote out her duds in a 
awful big hurry at his expense, an’ without 
no particular trouble to her. I reckon the 
old man’ll kick, when he hears it.” 


8o 


HARRY AMBLER 


After a few moments, however, liis spirits 
rose. Stepping into the cottage, he quietly 
opened a closet-door and brought forth a good- 
sized piece of drawing paper upon which was 
a crayon portrait of Mr. Ambler. It was the 
best work of Nellie’s loving hands, and was 
the only likeness of her father that the be- 
reaved family now possessed. Mr. Ambler had 
been proud of it during his lifetime, and since 
his death it had, of course, become the dearest 
of household treasures. It had been carefully 
stowed awajr to await the time that Mrs. 
Ambler should feel able to have it suitably 
framed. 

Ned Tull, alone, knew how so precious a 
thing had chanced to be left behind. 


CHAPTER VII 


AT THE FALLS MILL 



l HE prompt and kindly aid of Mr. Conner 


^ and Tom Tabor did so much to relieve 
their anxiety as to the immediate future, that 
Mrs. Ambler and her children found them- 
selves much more cheerful than would have 
seemed possible an hour before. 

“Your kindness makes one feel as if there 
is a pleasant side even to misfortune,” said 
she, in acknowledgment of the miller’s action. 

“It would be a mighty poor world, Mrs. 
Ambler, if a body was na glad to do a little 
kindness to such as yourself and the bairns,” 
replied he. “There’s na telling how soon the 
tables may be turned on ony of us.” 

So they drove along until they reached the 
foot of the Falls’ grade, where everybody 
found it necessary to dismount and lighten 
the loads for the horses. The two boys and 
Mr. Conner further relieved the faithful ani- 
mals by each carrying a portion of the load 


6 


81 


82 


HARRY AMBLER 


upon his own shoulders. By this means the 
party soon arrived at the miller’s home, and 
the household furniture, which but an hour 
before had been cast into the highway, was 
placed in secure quarters. The excitement 
was over. 

Tom Tabor and Harry had a talk out by 
the mill before Tom left for home. Harry 
felt that he might now relieve his mind upon 
the subject of their landlord without having 
to repent of his folly. Tike most boys of his 
age, our hero was not always an example of 
moderation in his language. 

“ I’d like to break old Tull’s head,” he re- 
marked as he threw a stone at a stump by the 
roadside with an accuracy that would have 
accomplished his wish if the stump had been 
the head. 

“ He’s an old hog, and no mistake. Let’s 
get even on him,” suggested Tom. 

“I’ll tell you what I’m agoing to do, Tom, 
and I wish you’d help me. I want to find out 
what that old scoundrel means by his efforts 
to drive us away from the Crossing. There’s 
something back of it all, or he’d never in the 
world offered us money. It aint his style.” 

“ It did look a little like water running up 


AT THE FALLS MILL 


83 


hill, that’s a fact. Perhaps his mind is giving 
way,” suggested Tom, with the hope of get- 
ting Harry into a less savage mood before 
leaving him. 

“Well, if it’s giving away anything of 
value, you may expect it to get it back again 
somehow,” responded Harry, in the same 
spirit. 

“ Say, Harry, you just work up some plan 
for getting even on the old rat, and count me 
in when you’re ready to spring it. I’ll stick to 
you through thick and thin.” 

“ I don’t believe, Tom, that it’s just exactly 
getting even that -I care about. I wouldn’t 
want to burn his house, or frighten his horse, 
or do anything else that I couldn’t own up to, 
though I believe I did say something about 
breaking his head just now.” 

“Well, you can depend on me anyway, in 
anything that you get up. Good-bye until 
next time.” 

“ Good-bye, Tom, and we’re all a thousand 
times obliged to you for to-day.” 

Tom drove carefully down the grade and off 
towards home. 

It was impossible to very long resist the 
cheerful influence of the hearty Scotch couple, 


8 4 


HARRY AMBLER 


and the new arrivals were soon as much at 
home as if their moving had been a matter of 
deliberate arrangement. 

Harry and his sister found the place one of 
great interest to them, and they wandered out 
to take a look at the mill with its massive 
water-wheel. 

The old mill stood on the bank of a creek 
that came down from the Alleghenys, and 
which at this point had not yet entirely lost 
its wild character as a mountain stream. It 
still flowed with such volume and force that 
the great wheel would easily have driven two 
mills instead of one. The miller had fre- 
quently puzzled his brain for some method of 
making full use of the splendid water-power. 

Just below the mill-wheel the stream de- 
scended to the bed of the valley, along which 
it flowed more peacefully to the great river 
which carried its waters to the sea. The de- 
scent to the low ground was quite sudden and 
was accomplished by means of a number of 
very pretty little cascades. As Harry and 
Nellie stood by the foot of this watery stair- 
way, and looked upwards, they saw the giant 
wheel seemingly engaged in a perpetual 
struggle to climb higher up the stream and 


AT THE FALLS MILL 


85 


thus escape from the upper cascade which was 
forever trying to drag it over the falls. From 
its situation the place had long been known 
as the Falls Mill. 

The only available way of reaching the 
mill itself from the valley below was up along 
the steep wagon road which had been built 
directly beside the falls. This road was not 
over a hundred and fifty feet in length, and 
had been kept in good repair, but it was ne- 
cessarily so steep that its ascent was a con- 
tinual matter of complaint to the farmers who 
hauled their wheat to the mill. The grade 
was so sharp that after starting to ascend it, a 
loaded team could not stop to rest on the way 
without the precaution of blocking the wheels. 
When the mill was erected, a generation be- 
fore the opening of our story, most of the 
hauling in the locality had been done by oxen, 
and these slow and powerful animals had 
found no particular difficulty in reaching the 
mill. The magnificent water-power at this 
high point had outweighed the inconvenience 
of the ascent. 

As our hero and Nellie were silently ad- 
miring the natural beauty of the place, they 
were startled by a horseman, who dashed by 


86 


HARRY AMBLER 


them and turned up towards the mill. His 
horse had nearly touched them as he went by, 
and they heard something very like an oath 
as he glanced back over his shoulder. It was 
Mr. Tull. 

“That means more trouble for Mr. Conner,” 
said Nellie, as she looked after the excited 
rider. 

“I am afraid it does, and I wish we had 
some way of preventing it,” replied her 
brother, “but I don’t see how we can.” 

“Harry, why does that man want us to go 
away ? If it was his rent that he cared for 
he would certainly want us where he could 
collect it. What can he want ?” 

“ I don’t know what he wants, Nell, but I 
am more certain every minute that he has 
some secret reason of his own for trying to 
drive us away from the Crossing.” 

“Let’s ask him right out,” suggested 
Nellie. 

“Let’s not,” responded Harry, with a smile 
at the idea of expecting any such candor from 
Mr. Tull. “No, asking won’t reach it, but 
I’ll keep my ears and eyes wide open, and if 
it’s possible I’m going to find it all out.” 

“I expect, Harry, he’s talking to Mr. Con- 


AT THE FALLS MILL 87 

ner at this very moment about sending us 
away.” 

As they passed the mill door on their way 
to the house, they heard the voices of the two 
men in excited conversation on the inside. 
The miller had recognized Mr. Tull long be- 
fore he had reached the Falls, and not wish- 
ing to carry on an angry controversy in the 
house, he had made it convenient to be busy 
at the mill when the landlord arrived. 

Heat, anger, and dust had all left their 
marks upon the latter as he dismounted and 
tossed his horse’s bridle over the post in front 
of the mill. He omitted the customary greet- 
ings between neighbors and plunged at once 
into business. 

“A fine day’s work you’ve made of it, Con- 
ner, sticking your fingers into other people’s 
business. What in thunder do you mean by 
it anyway ?” 

“ You’re doubtless referring to the widow 
Ambler’s affairs ?” asked Mr. Conner, as if in 
actual doubt as to the other’s meaning. 

“Yes, I am, and I’d like to know what right 
you’ve got on my land, interfering with the 
law.” 

“I went to lend a hand to the widow and 


88 


HARRY AMBLER 


children you be turning out,” replied the 
other, simply, “ and if there’s either of us to 
be ashamed of the day’s work, I reckon it’s 
yourself.” 

“Oh, don’t tune up for none o’ yer sam- 
singin’. I jest come over on a plain piece o’ 
business, and I can put it mighty clear, too. It 
was your interferin’ as kept me and the widow 
from agreein’ to terms about her leavin’ the 
Crossin’. Now you’ve just got to undo yer 
own mischief, that’s all. If they aint all 
away from here by this day week it’ll be a 
pers’nal matter twixt you an’ me. Yo’ un- 
derstand ?” 

“Weel, they won’t be away,” replied Con- 
ner, decidedly, “so that settles that right 
here.” 

“ No, it don’t settle it by a long shot,” re. 
sponded the angry visitor. 

Mr. Tull had doubtless intended to have 
had a longer conversation with the miller, but 
he saw that there was no possibility of per- 
suading him to take the action which he de- 
sired, and he found himself too much excited 
for argument. Snatching the horse’s bridle 
from the post, he sprang into the saddle, and 
turned fiercely upon the miller. Shaking his 


AT THE FALLS MILL 89 

clenched fist at Mr. Conner, he leaned forward 
and yelled : 

“You beggarly, sam-singing Scotchman, 
I’ll make this the worst bit o’ meddlin’ you’ve 
ever been up to. I’ll build a mill that don't 
need no ladder to climb up to. I’ll drive that 
crowd o’ paupers away from here in spite of 
all you can do. Now, you jest remember what 
I’m tellin’ you.” 

Before the astonished miller could reply, 
Tull was off down the road. Mr. Conner 
gazed after him with a look rather of trouble 
than anger upon his usually cheerful counte- 
nance. As the rider disappeared, at the turn 
of the road, he drew a long breath and walked 
slowly towards the house. 

“ I ha’ been expecting that threat for nigh 
on to ten year now, but I’d rather it would 
ha’ come from a better man than Jerry Tull.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 

O F course there was much curiosity in the 
household to know the object and result 
of Mr. Tull’s visit. The miller related it all 
pretty faithfully, but touched most lightly 
upon that which really gave him the most 
concern. 

“ He be going to build another mill and 
spoil our living, so he says.” 

This was the only reference that he made 
to Tull’s savage threat, but Harry saw clearly 
enough that it was not a trifling matter to 
the miller, and he determined to learn more 
about it at the earliest opportunity. 

“ Mr. Conner,” said Mrs. Ambler presently, 
“ this trouble and ill feeling all comes from 
your having helped us in our distress, and it 
isn’t right to let you bear our misfortunes. 
We had better go.” 

“ Tut, tut,” spoke up the miller, turning 
towards Mrs. Ambler, with his hands extended 
90 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 9 1 

as if in explanation, “ there be na room for 
sic notions here. Why, the old wheel would 
stop still with astonishment to see a widow an’ 
her children leaving the place because Gregory 
Conner dare 11a longer give them shelter.” 

“Of course, of course, ye all stay here till 
ye see the place that suits you better,” broke 
in Mrs. Conner, heartily seconding her hus- 
band’s expressions of kindness. 

“ It’s a pleasure to see the lad and lassie 
about the house, and they must gang fight 
along to school,” resumed the miller. 

“ And ye can all be useful about the home 
and the mill, and we’ll say no more on the 
subject,” concluded his wife. 

The sincerity of these words, and the stress 
of her situation, left the widow no choice but 
to accept the hospitality so freely offered. Of 
course she did not intend to remain a burden 
to any one, a moment longer than was abso- 
lutely necessary, but the hope of a little more 
schooling for Harry and Nellie was very 
tempting, and she accepted it with thanks. 
They were both bright scholars, but from the 
present circumstances of the family it was 
clear that their school days were nearly over. 
The mother was, therefore, very glad of their 
chance to finish the term. 


92 


HARRY AMBLER 


Go it came about that Ned Tull rubbed his 
eyes with astonishment on the next Monday 
morning as Harry and Nellie entered the 
school-room with their books under their arms 
and no signs of tears on their faces. They 
took their accustomed seats just as if nothing 
unusual had occurred. 

The reader will easily understand that up 
to this point matters had not gone along ex- 
actly as young Tull had desired. In the first 
place, the constable had failed most miserably 
in the manner of taking possession of the 
cottage. In Ned’s cheerful imagination, he 
had beheld a vision of broken bedsteads, 
splintered chairs, cracked crockery, and torn 
carpets, first tumbled about by a swearing 
constable, and then heaped together in a pro- 
miscuous mass by the public roadside. Around 
these were to be gathered the weeping and 
disconsolate family. 

What he had actually seen was most dis- 
gustingly like an orderly and voluntary re- 
moval from one home to another. The family 
had not gone very cheerfully, it is true, yet 
they had by no means exhibited that crushed 
and hopeless appearance which Ned had 
naturally expected as the result of his father’s 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 


93 


anger. Worst of all, here were the two chil- 
dren back at school again after an absence of 
only a single day. 

This was a little more awkward for Ned 
from the fact that he had already given his 
particular cronies an account of the proceed- 
ings of Friday at the cottage. He had ex- 
plained how young Ambler had undertaken 
to give him, Ned Tull, some of his impudence 
and had been shut up with such force that he 
didn’t dare to open his mouth again during the 
whole morning. This was followed by ample 
explanations as to what would have happened 
if Harry had been rash enough to say another 
word. Ned had rather more than intimated 
that Ambler would hardly dare to make his 
appearance again in the speaker’s presence, 
yet here the fellow was, and with no visible 
signs of past injury or present alarm. Things 
were not as they should be. 

The financial standing of the elder Tull, 
together with his own self-confident manner, 
had given Ned Tull a kind of leadership over 
the other boys of the school. His recitals of 
past adventures and his predictions of future 
accomplishments were always listened to by a 
crowd of gaping admirers. 


94 


HARRY AMBLER 


Of course Harry Ambler bad his friends as 
well as Ned, but they were much less demon- 
strative, although certainly more sincere. 
His particular friend was Tom Tabor, the son 
of a well-to-do farmer of the neighborhood. 
The two boys were nearly of a size. Of the 
two, Harry was rather more serious in char- 
acter, yet they had always found each other 
excellent company. 

During all of the Monday recess and after 
school was out, Ned was constantly sur- 
rounded by a party of eager admirers. As he 
had it all his own way it may be safely as- 
sumed that the Amblers, and particularly 
Harry, were not presented in a very enviable 
light. Then, too, there seems to be a univer- 
sal admiration among boys for what they con- 
sider pluck, and Harry’s behavior as described 
to them, didn’t come up to their ideas of 
bravery. 

Ned indulged in some demonstrations dur- 
ing the day that tended to still further 
strengthen him among the boys. Whenever 
he met Harry on the school grounds he made 
it a point to stare full in his face and elevate 
his eyebrows in a contemptuous manner, 
without other sign of recognition. This was 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 


95 


regarded as at once dignified and severe. 
Harry’s nerves were also tried occasionally by 
hearing the words “ beggar” and “pauper,” 
which were evidently aimed at himself. He 
paid no attention to these words or actions, 
and the day passed off without anything of 
importance to our narrative. 

On the next morning, however, it became 
evident that there was something special on 
the Tull program. The interest among his 
admirers seemed to increase instead of dying 
out, as Harry had naturally supposed it would. 
The conferences were more frequent, and 
there was a general air of suppressed excite- 
ment among the younger boys. At noon Ned 
again entertained a small assemblage of 
friends in a corner of the school grounds with 
his views as to Harry. 

“ Fellers, you jest orter have seen Ambler 
when I told him he’d better shut his mouth. 
He seen in half a secon’ that I was in earnest, 
and he didn’t darst as much as look at me 
again. You never seen anybody turn so 
white.” 

“ Did he cry ?” asked one of the listeners. 

“ Oh, well, he was kind o’ whimperin’ all 
the time. There aint no sand to him, at all.” 


96 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ How’re you going to make him fight this 
afternoon?” queried another. 

“Why, you’ll see after school. O’ course 
if he won’t fight fer nothin’, why he won’t, 
that’s all. To tell the truth that’s jest what 
I am afraid of, but I’ll call him a ‘ pauper,’ 
and perhaps he’ll dare to call me another, or 
somethin’ else, an’ ef he does why I’ll dare 
him to say it again. With that kind o’ fellers 
yo’ have to go slow or else they’ll pertend they 
don’t believe in fightin’ an’ back out.” 

“ Hain’t you got something else to make 
him mad about ?” asked his first questioner 
again. . 

“ Yep, I have, but you jest keep that to 
yourself ’til it comes out.” 

“ Ambler backed out from fighting Jim 
Henderson at the picnic last year,” said 
another of the boys. “ Hendy jest the same 
as called him a liar. Ambler turned around 
jest as quiet as could be, an’ said that what 
he had said was so, but that he didn’t see any- 
thing to fight about, and then he walked off 
with his mother.” 

“ Oh, he’s a coward. That’s jest the long 
and short o’ it all. But you fellers jest keep 
yer eyes open fer fun after school.” 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 


97 


The bell rang and the scholars returned to 
the school-room, but not to study. Something 
of more importance than geography or gram- 
mar was upon their minds. 

When at length school was dismissed, Nel- 
lie wished to speak to the teacher about mak- 
ing up the lessons missed on Friday, and 
Harry waited for her in the school-room. 
Those who had nothing of importance to 
detain them had disappeared by the time the 
brother and sister walked quietly down the 
path towards the gate. 

Just outside of the school grounds, however, 
Ned Tull with a dozen others had gathered 
under a chestnut tree. Curious glances were 
cast at our hero as himself and companion 
passed out the gate. 

“ The coward’s got his sister with him fer 
an excuse,” muttered Tull, “ but jes’ you 
fellers watch him any way.” 

There were some noticeable points of con- 
trast between the two boys. Tull was some- 
what heavier and taller, but he had not the 
firmness of muscle and clear skin of Harry. 
His motions were not so free, nor his eye so 
steady. Harry had not even looked towards 
the group, and was about to pass the chestnut 
7 


HARRY AMBLER 


98 

tree without notice, when a scream from Nel- 
lie caused him to look at her. Nellie was 
gazing at Ned Tull and his friends, and a 
glance in that direction explained matters to 
her brother. 

Tull was standing with his back towards 
them, and was holding in his hands — so high 
above his head that everybody must see it — 
the crayon sketch of Mr. Ambler, which both 
the brother and sister believed to be safely at 
home. As soon as Ned was sure that his 
action was observed, he deliberately crumpled 
the paper in his hands and contemptuously 
tossed it into the road. He then turned 
around with a sneer on his face to witness the 
effect of his performance. It had produced 
different effects upon the different observers. 
Nellie had involuntarily put her hands over 
her eyes, as she saw the picture thrown into 
the road. 

Harry’s books had dropped to the ground,, 
as he sprang like a young lion towards his 
enemy. He did not utter a word. The first 
audible sound was an involuntary “gosh!” 
from Tull himself, as he received a tremen- 
dous drive from Harry’s left fist among his 
ribs. The effect of this was to double Ned 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 


99 


forward, where he was met with an upper cut 
from his opponent’s right fist, which straight- 
ened him up, with a bloody nose. 

He now became conscious of two things. 
First, that he had succeeded beyond his most 
sanguine expectations in getting Harry to 
fight, and next that if he desired to take any 
part in the contest himself he must do it at 
once. 

He was stung not only by the blows but by 
the recollection of the position he had placed 
himself in by his foolish boasting. Aiming 
a powerful blow at Harry, Ned now com- 
menced an attack. The latter sprang back- 
wards and escaped unhurt. For five minutes 
Ned became the aggressor, and delivered 
some very hard blows, and a good deal 
of violent language, at our hero. Neither, 
however, produced any noticeable result. As 
long as Tull was inclined to keep this up, 
Harry encouraged him, for he very well knew 
how soon such exercise would exhaust his 
enemy’s strength. 

At the end of the time mentioned, Tull 
showed very clearly that he could not long 
keep up his pace. He was breathing heavily 
through his open mouth, while Harry’s com- 


IOO 


HARRY AMBLER 


pressed lips and steady gaze told of a reserved 
strength that would come into play just when 
it would do the most harm to his excited ad- 
versary. 

As we have seen, Harry had, up to this 
point, avoided any very severe injury by judi- 
ciously retreating or stepping to one side. 
Ned had grown familiar with this manoeuvre, 
but it was not easily overcome. At length, 
by apparent negligence, Harry allowed his 
opponent to get nearer to him than had been 
his custom, and Tull took immediate advan- 
tage of the fact. He knew perfectly well that if 
he could strike Ambler one full blow with his 
right fist he would be very apt to disable him 
and gain an easy victory. Seeing his chance 
to accomplish this, he leaped towards the 
smaller boy with a blow that would have been 
apt to have reached him even if he had re- 
treated as usual. 

This life, however, is full of changes, and 
it was just here that Ned encountered one of 
the most violent. Harry had not only ex- 
pected, but desired this attack. Instead of 
retreating he advanced upon his approaching 
enemy. Warding off the latter’s blow with 
his left forearm, he met the advancing form 


THE DAMAGED PICTURE 


IOI 


with a drive of his right fist fully between the 
eyes. The result of the contact was what 
might have been expected under the circum- 
stances. Tull was not in position to endure 
the effect of such a shock, and his feet flew 
from under him with that surprising velocity 
which can be appreciated only by those who 
have chanced to experience it. He fell at full 
length on the grass, with the eyes of his fol- 
lowers fixed upon his prostrate form. 

He arose to his feet and clenched his fists. 
A close observer must, however, have noticed 
that he did not advance with that eager step 
which had characterized his former attacks. 

Now our hero took no particular pleasure 
in fighting, even when he remembered the in- 
sults which had been heaped upon himself 
and family by this boy. He was therefore 
very glad of an opportunity to bring the battle 
to an early close, and he believed that prompt 
action would accomplish this result. 

Advancing quickly to his antagonist, Harry 
struck him a sounding blow across the cheek 
with his open hand, and then stood before 
him with his own hands by his side. The 
blow was, of course, far less forcible than those 
which had preceded it, but its meaning was 


102 


HARRY AMBLER 


very clear. The spectators understood that 
the battle might stop or continue entirely as 
Tull decided, but that if it stopped, there was 
to be no manner of doubt as to who was the 
victor. 

The bully stood for a moment considering 
what to do. A glance at the figure of his un- 
daunted opponent, who stood quietly awaiting 
his pleasure in the matter, greatly assisted 
him in reaching a conclusion. Backing 
slowly away for a few steps, he turned and 
left the field of battle. He was whipped. 

After standing a moment to allow for any 
change of purpose on Ned’s part, our hero 
quietly passed through the line of now respect- 
ful spectators and picked up the much abused 
paper which had brought about the conflict. 
Joining Nellie, he tenderly smoothed out the 
beloved features and restored the treasure. to 
his sister. 

“ There, Nell, it aint so bad after all, and I 
guess I’ve damaged his picture as much as he 
has yours.” 


CHAPTER IX 


THE MILLER’S ALARM 
HEN Nellie laid the rescued picture be- 



' ’ fore lier astonished mother the whole 
story of the encounter came out. 

“Mother, Harry had a prize-fight,” said the 
girl, intending to put the occurrence in its 
worst shape to begin with, so that the expla- 
nations might have the greater weight with 
her mother, who she knew was opposed to 
fighting. 

“And Nellie was my second,” added her 
brother. 

Then, of course, came a full explanation of 
the battle and its immediate cause. 

“My boy,” said Mrs. Ambler, when she had 
heard it all, “couldn’t you have avoided it by 
j ust bringing the picture home and paying no 
attention to the insults ?” 

“ It wouldn’t have been right,” responded 
the boy with decision. 

“Why not, Harry?” asked Mrs. Ambler, 


103 


104 


HARRY AMBLER 


surprised that her son should actually justify 
his conduct. She had, of course, expected 
that he would excuse himself on the ground 
of sudden anger, but she hardly expected him 
to maintain that he had done a good act in 
undertaking a fist fight. 

“I know, mother, you always speak against 
fighting, and if it isn't necessary, I dislike it 
as much as any one possibly can. But I 
think it may sometimes be just as necessary 
as to carry a barrel, or saw a stick of wood, 
and this was one of those times.” 

“ How was it necessary, my boy ? What 
good has been accomplished by whipping Ned 
Tull ?” 

“All the good that was possible to accom- 
plish under the circumstances. Why just 
look at it, mother, for a moment, as if we had 
nothing to do with the matter at all, but that 
it was all about other people. One boy does 
some outrageous thing — an act that nobody 
can justify. His action will be a success or 
failure in his opinion according to the result 
to himself. In other words, he is not a boy 
who will care at all how much his act hurts 
other people, if it only makes him popular, 
or brings him money, or in any other way 
produces a pleasant result at once. 


THE MILLER’S ALARM 105 

“Now, mother, suppose you could control 
the result of his act so as to make it a decided 
failure even in the opinion of the boy himself. 
What ought you to do ?” 

“But, Harry, it is not your duty to take 
care of Ned Tull.” 

“Perhaps not, mother, but it is my duty to 
do the best I can for everybody when I am in 
a position that my action affects them, and 
here it did. If I -had passed this over, Ned 
Tull would have been encouraged to do just 
such things in the future, and perhaps next 
time his victim would not have been able to 
defend himself. I have presented to Ned the 
only argument against that kind of thing that 
he can possibly understand. I have turned a 
very bad act into a very bad failure. He will 
doubtless keep on being a mean boy, but I 
have done my duty so far at any rate.” 

“ With it all, my son, fighting continues to 
be a brutalizing thing.” 

“Yes, if it is done for any bad reason, but 
when it is the only argument that is applica- 
ble to the case, I think it’s right,” persisted 
the boy. 

“And my own sentiments be exactly the 
same,” broke in the miller. “The doubts 


io6 


HARRY AMBLER 


about the rights o’ the case trouble me less 
than to tell how the lad happened to be so 
handy with his* fists.” 

“His father had him taught to box, against 
my objections,” replied Mrs. Ambler. “Mr. 
Ambler used to say that most of the fights 
among boys came from their discussions as to 
which could whip, and that if a boy had been 
trained to take care of himself whenever it 
became necessary, he would not care to fight 
for slight motives. He said that it was the 
same as among men. The man who is en- 
tirely sure that his financial credit is secure, 
is not so much tempted to make an unneces- 
sary display of his money as is the one about 
whom there is some doubt.” 

“Weel, you can na call Harry a quarrel- 
some lad.” 

“No, I can’t do that. Harry is a good boy, 
and perhaps he’s right about a blow being 
sometimes necessary, but I hope it will not 
be often.” 

So the matter ended with the family. 

Whether or not any particular change took 
place in Ned’s character, one thing is certain, 
his influence for evil among the younger boys 
at the school was ended. His defeat had been 


THE MILLER’S ALARM 107 

so thorough, and his previous boasting had 
attracted so much attention to it, that he was 
no longer a possible object of admiration. 
He attempted some explanations but they 
were not satisfactory. 

He attributed his defeat to the fact that 
Harry had struck him “ before a single word 
had been spoke about fightin’.” He also tried 
to continue his former tactics of making a 
public show of his contempt for our hero by 
staring at him with disdain when they met. 
But there was a difference now. It is not so 
easy for a boy with a blackened eye and 
numerous court-plaster decorations on his 
cheek to assume the look of dignity necessary 
for a successful snub. His efforts were still 
greeted with smiles by the other boys, but he 
was in painful doubt as to the exact object of 
their mirth. 

Ned’s hatred of Harry was certainly in- 
creased many-fold by his recent experience. 
He did not suffer from any desire to renew 
the combat in the same form, but he would 
have heartily adopted any secret method by 
which he could have had his # revenge. 

The elder Tull soon observed his son’s in- 
creased hatred for young Ambler, and he de- 


Io8 HARRY AMBLER 

termined to turn it to use. He knew too 
much to entrust Ned with his own reasons for 
particularly wishing to get the family out of 
the way, yet he felt the need of his son’s aid 
in carrying out any of the plans devised by 
the notary and himself. 

He was satisfied now that the offer of the 
railroad tickets was not alone sufficient to 
accomplish his end, and he determined to add 
some more powerful inducement at the earliest 
opportunity. With a plan already in view, 
he awaited a favorable time for enlisting his 
hopeful son in its execution. He thought it 
better to let Ned seem to invite the sugges- 
tions instead of having them forced upon him. 

The chance finally came one afternoon, when 
the two had been taking a look at the site of 
the new mill which was to be erected on the 
Ambler farm. They had wandered into the 
deserted cottage, and the surroundings seemed 
to have put Ned in a peculiarly fortunate 
mood for taking his father’s suggestions. Due 
respect for our friends at the Falls requires, 
however, that we should first notice some 
events occurring before the day of which we 
have just spoken. 

Harry and Nellie continued to attend school, 


THE MILLER’S ALARM IOQ 

and both Mrs. Ambler and her children turned 
in and worked with a will to aid in every pos- 
sible way, the friends who had been so kind to 
them. Mrs. Conner commenced to complain 
that she wasn’t allowed to do any work even 
in her own house. So the kindly relations 
strengthened as the two families became the 
better acquainted. 

About a week after the meeting with Ned 
Tull, Harry and the miller had a talk about 
the new mill that was to be built. Mr. Con- 
ner was seated on the platform of his own 
mill smoking his brier-wood pipe, and Harry 
had just strolled out from the house. It was 
after supper, and the sun was slowly dropping 
out of sight behind the western woods. 

“ Mr. Conner/’ said Harry, “ there aint 
business around the Crossing for two grist- 
mills, is there ?” 

His companion started at the question, sim- 
ple as it was. It was upon his own mind at 
that very moment, and, indeed, had been there 
very often of late. 

“ No, my lad, there aint, and, to tell the 
truth, that fact be giving me mony an anxious 
thought.” 

“ But what will Tull do with another mill 


IIO 


HARRY AMBLER 


if there isn’t business enough for it to run 
on? Your customers won’t leave you to go 
to Tull, I feel sure of that.” 

“ I wish I war’ sure o’ that, too,” said the 
miller dubiously. 

Both were silent for a moment, then the 
man dropped from his seat on the edge of the 
platform to the ground. Stooping down he 
picked up a rounded stone somewhat larger 
than his fist. Covering the bowl of his pipe 
with his left hand to prevent its contents from 
being disturbed by the shock of his motion, 
he threw the stone towards the steep roadway 
which reached the high ground but a short 
distance from his feet. 

The stone rolled for several rods down the 
smooth decline, making its movements heard 
as it progressed. The miller listened to the 
sound until it died away, and then, giving a 
vigorous tug at his pipe to renew the fire, he 
again mounted his perch. 

“Lad, right there’s just where the whole 
trouble o’ the matter lies. The Falls grade 
be o’er-steep for horses.” 

“You think that the farmers will go to the 
mill on the lower ground rather than climb 
the grade ?” said Harry, now for the first time 


THE MILLER’S ALARM III 

seeing the force of Tull’s threat to build a 
new mill. 

“I reckon that’s what I’d do myself, lad, if 
I war a farmer, and it’s likely others will do 
the same. If we were both on even ground I 
think the business would still stay with me, 
but it’s too much to count on when one looks 
at that grade.” 

“Oh, I don’t believe he’ll build the mill,” 
responded Harry, more cheerfully. “ It’ll 
mean a lot o’ cash to begin with, and Tull 
aint the man to risk much money unless he 
sees how it’s coming back to him.” 

“So I’ve been thinking, but it turns out to 
be a mistake. I find that he has already been 
getting figures from Philadelphia on the cost, 
so I take it he’s in earnest. I reckon he’s 
figured it all out and concluded that he can 
make it pay in money as well as spite.” 

Mr. Conner considerately did not tell Harry 
of a message which had come to him that very 
day. While it did not come directly from 
Tull, he had no doubt as to the source. It 
was a renewal of the old story. If Mrs. Am- 
bler and the children were sent away within 
the week the new mill would not be built, 
otherwise it was a certainty. The miller 
realized that this was probably his last chance 


112 


HARRY AMBRER 


to make his own peace at the expense of the 
family that was now under his roof, but he 
had declined it, and now refrained from even 
mentioning it lest it cause needless pain. 

“And they do say, lad, that the surveyors 
be already marking off the mill-site on your 
old place, just where the stream crosses the 
meadow.’’ 

“Well, that’s all news to me,” said the boy, 
“and I must admit that it looks like busi- 
ness.” 

“Yes, I guess we’ll have to count on two 
mills, but, Harry, there’s another thing I’ve 
been wanting to speak about,” and the miller’s 
voice indicated a change of subject. 

“For the last few days I’ve noticed you’ve 
been going off for two or three hours, just 
after school. I ken it’s all right as far as 
ony intention is concerned, but I’ve been 
afraid, Harry, that you might be thinking o’ 
doing something that would make you trouble. 
Taking a short road to getting even on Tull, 
perhaps ?” 

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it with pleasure, 
only I'd rather you wouldn’t mention it in the 
house. It would just raise hopes that might 
only be disappointed. You remember that 
when father was drowned he had nearly 


THE MILTER’S ALARM II3 

twehty-six hundred dollars with him, and we 
never found any of it. Then you’ll remember 
that the boy who found his body was sus- 
pected of having stolen the money, and as 
soon as he heard that they wer,e after him he 
ran away. 

“Now, I’ve always thought that after the 
thing had quieted down a little the boy might 
come back again, and that if I could only get 
to talk with him I might get at least a part of 
the money, and you know how we need it. 

“ So Tom Tabor and myself have been 
putting in all of our spare time in watching 
the cabin in the woods, to see whether he 
hadn’t come back. So far we have not caught 
a glimpse of him.” 

“Would you ken the chap if you saw 
him ?” 

“Oh, yes; I’ve seen him out along the 
Mountville road, and would know him, but I 
feel pretty sure that he wouldn’t know me, as 
I never happened to speak to him.” 

“Weel, what ha’ you learned about him so 
far, lad ?” 

“I’ve not talked to the old woman he lived 
with because I don’t care to have her know 
that I am on the lookout, but the colored 
8 


HARRY AMBLER 


114 

people over about Bramble Town all tliink 
that he has gone to Philadelphia.” 

“Then, lad, there’s mighty little hope o’ 
seeing him again. There’s so much grist in 
that hopper that it’ll be a miracle when you 
find the very grain you’re after.” 

“ I’m not so sure of that, Mr. Conner, and 
I’d like to try the experiment. If I ever have, 
the chance I’ll do it, too.” 

“Weel, I’m sure I wish you success in 
whatever you try, lad, but I greatly fear 
there’s naught but disappointment in the last 
o’ the plans.” 

“That’s the reason I hope you won’t speak 
of it to anybody about the house, and then 
there won’t be much harm done. What 
you’ve said about the new mill being on our 
old place, Mr. Conner, makes me feel as if I’d 
like to see the house once more before it loses 
the home look. If Tom feels like going that 
way to-morrow afternoon, it’s likely we’ll 
spend an hour or two there instead of watch- 
ing the cabin.” 

“Just as you like, lad, and you understand 
that my questions did na mean that I doubted 
the rights of your actions.” 

The miller knocked the ashes out of his 
pipe and the two turned towards the house. 


CHAPTER X 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 

T T was late on the afternoon of the next day 
when Harry and Tom strolled down the 
familiar lane and opened the cottage gate. 

“It seems awfully queer,” remarked our 
hero, “to be going in here with the feeling 
that I am a stranger. It seems but a few 
days since we were all of us — father along 
with the rest — planning how we would change 
these garden walks as soon as the place was 
actually bought.” 

“ Well, old fellow,” said his companion, 
cheerfully, “ don’t go back to find bad luck. 
There’s no telling what good fortune there 
may be in store for you in the future.” 

“That’s true enough, Tom, and besides, I’ve 
no doubt that other people who are just as 
good as we are, have had just as hard a time.” 

The boys walked slowly around the grounds, 
commenting upon the familiar objects as they 
went. At the side nearest to the creek they 

Ii5 


HARRY AMBLER 


1 16 

stopped and, resting their arms upon the 
fence, gazed down towards the stream. 

“Tom, do you see those fresh stakes driven 
into the ground down there where the creek 
conies out of the woods ?” 

“Why, yes. What do you suppose they 
mean. Is the old fellow starting a grave- 
yard?” 

“ That’s exactly where the new mill is going 
to be.” 

“Well, he’s mighty prompt about it, I 
must say.” 

Soon the two friends turned towards the 
house. Finding one of the windows unfas- 
tened, they yielded to the temptation and en- 
tered. The echoes of their own footsteps 
were the only sounds that greeted. them as 
they wandered from one deserted room to an- 
other. Harry had but little to say, and his 
friend, fully understanding his silence, did not 
disturb him. 

When they had visited all of the rooms on 
the lower floor, Harry led the way upstairs 
to the little room which for so many years he 
had called his own. Raising the western win- 
dow, the two boys seated themselves upon an 
empty box and watched the sun as it disap- 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 1 17 

peared behind the tall chestnuts that were 
gently nodding their evening farewell. 

The reader can easily imagine the character 
of the conversation at such a place and under 
such circumstances, and as more active inci- 
dents await us, we shall not pause to repeat 
the hopes and fears that the two friends dis- 
cussed with each other. 

They must have talked for a considerable 
time, for the shadows of the tall trees were 
reaching far across the meadow, when Tom 
gave a sudden start and pointed through the 
open window towards the edge of the woods. 
Harry was not at first able to make out the 
object of his friend’s attention. 

“ What is it, Tom?” 

“ If I’m not mistaken it’s Tull’s big dog 
4 Brock.’ See, he’s just dodging out of the 
woods along the bank of the creek.” 

“ I see him now. What’s the ugly brute 
doing down here alone, I wonder?” 

“ Most likely he aint alone,” replied Tom. 
“ There, I thought so.” 

As he was speaking, Mr. Tull and Ned 
emerged from the woods, also following 
the course of the stream. They were in 
no hurry, and stopped for some time, to 


n8 


HARRY AMBLER 


examine the spot marked off for the mill. 
The two boys had at once withdrawn from 
the window upon the discovery of the new 
arrivals, and now stood considering what 
to do. The}?- of course knew that if their 
presence was discovered, Mr. Tull would put 
the worst possible construction upon their 
conduct. There was no way of escape wdth- 
out almost certain recognition. The window 
through which they must pass was in full 
view of the party by the creek, including the 
dog “ Brock,” who was known to be savage 
when excited. 

“ Perhaps they will not come to the house,” 
suggested Tom. 

“ But here they come,” replied his com- 
panion, who had been taking a peep through 
the window. 

“We’re in for it,” said Tom. 

“ Take off your shoes,” was Harry’s only 
reply. 

Our hero was one of those boys who seem 
to enjoy a touch of danger. His mind and 
his appearance at once brightened up to meet 
sudden difficulties, and at such times he was 
very apt to become the leader by mere force 
of ability. 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 1 19 

Tom Tabor at once recognized the sound- 
ness of his advice on the present occasion, 
and the boys had each removed his shoes 
before the sound of the door-key informed 
them that their visitors had arrived. Without 
this precaution the bare floors would certainly 
have made their presence known. 

The conversation and actions of the father 
and son were as distinct to the boys’ ears as if 
all four had been in the same room. They 
passed from one room to another, opening all 
the closet doors, and making a thorough in- 
spection as they went along. They had evi- 
dently been walking for some time, and the 
heavier of the two, complained of being tired. 
He seated himself on the steps that led to the 
second floor, to rest, and at the same time, to 
make known to Ned his proposition for get- 
ting even with Harry. 

That youth was in excellent humor for 
hearing any such plan, and the matter had 
evidently already received some consideration 
at their hands. 

“ Wall, then, why don’t you jes’ get even on 
him ?” were the first words that were under- 
stood by the boys above. 

“ Why don’t I get even ? Why don’t I fly? 


120 


HARRY AMBLER 


Why didn’t you drive ’em away from the 
Crossing?” 

“ That ’are’s entirely def rent. That takes 
time, but I’ll do it afore long, you kin count 
on that.” 

“Yes, well, so’ll I git even on that there cub 
sometime, too, but I’ve got to wait fer a 
chance, aint I ?” 

“No, you aint,” responded the elder Tull 
with increased confidence of manner. “ You 
kin make the chance fer your own self.” 

“ How kin I ? You don’t mean fer me to 
pitch in ter lick him ag’in, do you ?” asked 
the other, with something like alarm in his 
tone. 

“ Naw, I don’t b’lieve that fist fightin’ is the 
way to handle sich people.” 

“It’s too good fer ’em,” virtuously responded 
Ned. 

“Yes, the only way to fight sich people is 
the same way they fight.” 

“ But I don’t want to fight at all,” broke in 
Ned, who feared that the plan might after all 
involve some disagreeable features. 

“Wall, you jest keep down fer a fewminits, 
till you understand what it is I’m explainin’ 
to you. There’s mor’n one way o’ fightin’. 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 


12 1 * 


There’s fist fightin’, that’s the lowest kind of 
all, an’ I’m glad a son o’ mine don’t want no 
more o’ that.” 

The two boys upstairs looked at each other 
and found it not at all easy to control their 
desire to laugh as they heard this declaration 
of principle. The conversation, however, be- 
came more and more interesting, and they soon 
forgot the humorous features. 

“But, Edward,” continued the parent, 
“there’s a better kind o’ fightin’.” 

u Yer mean rastlin’, don’t yer, dad — every 
feller grabbin’ fer the best holt ?” 

“No, I don’t mean rastlin’. What I mean 
is this here. You said Ambler struck you 
while you wasn’t ready fer him, didn’t you ?” 

“Yes, and he did, too.” 

“And he licked you like blazes, didn’t he ?” 
asked Tull, descending suddenly from the 
highly moral to the merely practical. 

Ned paid no attention to the last remark, 
and his father proceeded. 

“Now it’s jest as fair fer you to hit him 
back when he aint expectin’ it, an’ get even 
* on — ” 

“But I don’t want to fight no more with 
him. I tol’ you that before. I won’t fight 
him nohow.” 


122 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Oh, jest hold your tongue fer long enough 
to hear me, won’t you ? I don’t mean to hit 
him back in the nose, or jaw. I mean to strike 
him where he’s tenderer than in them places.” 

“In the stomach?” asked Ned, this time 
with confidence that he had caught his father’s 
idea at last. Figurative language was not 
very common in their daily conversation, and 
Ned was not to blame for his slowness in fol- 
lowing it. 

A grunt of disgust from his paternal rela- 
tive warned him that he had not yet entirely 
mastered his meaning. 

“I mean to hit him in his ‘repetationd 
that’s what I mean,” despairing of all hope of 
reaching his point by anything less direct. 
“Them Amblers has al’ays made agreatp’int 
about their bein’ honest, and all that. Now 
jes’ suppose that ’ere boy was to be caught 
a-stealin’. Don’t you see it would hit ’em all 
mighty hard. I don’t b’lieve they could stay 
around here a week after it was knowd.” 

“Has he been stealin’ somethin’ ?” the boys 
heard Ned ask in confidential tones. 

“I haint no kind o’ doubt that he has,” re- 
plied Tull, “ only he’s took care not to git 
caught in it, that’s all. Now if we could kind 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 1 23 

o’ make things work out so’s to show people 
what kind of feller he really is, I rather reckon 
you’d be even on him, don’t you ?” 

“ Why, how do yer mean, dad?” inquired 
the still doubtful son. 

“Jest this way,” responded his father, with 
a promptness that showed that he had now 
reached a point that had been carefully con- 
sidered before. “About a month from now 
you have a big time at school, on closin’ day, 
don’t you ?” 

“Yas, I reckon.” 

“Everybody and all his relations will be 
there. Now jest you suppose that on that 
there day I should be robbed o’ some val’able 
article — like a purse, or somethin’ — and I 
made a awful big fuss about it, so’s everybody 
knowd it. Now if on the very next day when 
everybody was a-talkin’ about it, the constable 
— not me, but the reg’lar constable — was to 
find that ’are article hid around Conner’s mill, 
how would that look to you ? You wouldn’t 
think the old sam-singer took it himself, an’ 
there’s only one other one as could be sus- 
pected. Don’t you see ?” 

“Dad, that’s a good one. It would do me a 
sight o’ good to see Ambler when he was took. 
He wouldn’t hold his head quite so stiff.” 


124 


HARRY AMBLER 


“Now, Ned, there’s one thing more to be 
spoke about. I think that you catch the 
general idee, but there’s some things as will 
have to.be looked after kind o’ particular. 
You know purses an’ sich articles aint got no 
legs, and they can’t get up hill alone. If 
they are to be found anywheres around the 
old mill, why either Ambler or somebody else 
must take ’em there. You see how it is ?” 

“Oh, I see it all plain enough now, and you 
can be dead sure that Ambler — or somebody 
else — will take the thing up the hill the very 
night after it’s stole. I jest know that fer 
sure.” 

“All right, Ned, the matter must be ’tended 
to prompt or it won’t be no good, but if the 
carcumstances turns out the way I feel in my 
bones there goin’ to, why you’ll be even enough 
to last fer a lifetime.” 

“And I say, dad ?” 

“Wall, what’s struck you?” 

“Why, jest suppose that ’are purse was 
found wrapped up in a handkerchief or some- 
thin’, and that handkerchief happened to have 
Ambler’s name on to one corner o’ it. How’d 
that strike a unprejerdiced observer ?” 

“That’s one fer you, my son. That’s jest 


IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 


125 


the one idee that’s needed to make the sur- 
roundin’s altogether lovely. If that thing 
was to happen jest that way the boy’s own 
mother b’lieve he took it. She couldn’t git 
away from the evidence, but I’ll bet a dollar 
that the whole lot o’ them would git away 
from the Crossing mighty rapid.” 

“ Say, dad, it’s gettin’ dark. Be you goin’ 
upstairs. I don’t b’lieve I care to go.” 

The boys above felt a sentiment of grati- 
tude towards Ned for his influence in their 
favor, but they had hardly time to mentally 
bestow their blessing when the voice of the 
elder Tull greeted them again. 

“ Why, y-a-s; I reckon I’ll see the thing 
through. I seed one of the windows open up 
there when we was coinin’, and then anyway 
I want to look in all the closets. You can’t 
never tell what people might happen to leave 
in the closets.” 

As he was speaking, Mr. Tull had evidently 
arisen and, with his last words, the prisoners 
above heard his heavy step upon the lower 
stair. We need hardly say that the situation 
was desperate, made doubly so by the charac- 
ter of the conversation which they had in- 
voluntarily overheard. 


126 


HARRY AMBLER 


With the same thought in their minds the 
two boys hastened to the window. Tom was 
in advance and reached it first. He glanced 
out and then turned and met Harry with a 
look of dismay. 

“We can’t do it, Harry. Old ‘Brock’ is 
right under the window and he’s a regular 
man-eater. Take care or he’ll see you. Why 
what on earth — you can’t frighten the dog. 
There, we’re gone.” 

This one-sided conversation was the result 
of Harry’s singular conduct, and it all took 
place in a few breathless seconds. When Tom 
turned from facing the savage brute be- 
neath the window and told his companion of 
the hopelessness of attempting escape in that 
direction, our hero seemed to lose his self-pos- 
session. Rushing forward to the window-sill 
he leaned far out and at once attracted the at- 
tention of the half-sleeping dog. 

Then followed his efforts at intimidation. 
Shaking his fist at the astonished animal, he 
had him on his feet in an instant. Then he 
dangled his shoes by their strings over the 
dog’s head. No self-respecting mastiff would 
endure this insult in silence, and “ Brock’s ” 
furious barking greeted his master while the 



NO SELF-RESPECTING MASTIFF WOULD ENDURE THE INSULT 

IN SILENCE 



























J 






























































































































































































IN THE DESERTED COTTAGE 1 29 

latter was still several steps from the upper 
landing of the stairs. 

“Say, dad, ‘ Brock’s’ got somebody outside 
and it aint no use for me to holler at him. 
You’d better see about it right off. When he 
barks that way he means business.” 

“Hang the dog!” muttered Tull, as he 
stumped down the stairs again with greater 
speed than he had ascended. 

In a moment the boys heard the two leave 
the house and speak to the dog on the outside. 

“Come,” said Harry, and Tom followed 
without question. 

Still carrying their shoes, the boys hastily 
descended to the floor below and, Harry open- 
ing a closet door, they both entered and closed 
the door after them. They were not a second 
too soon. When they had disappeared from 
the window the dog had turned to meet his 
master and was easily silenced. 

The father and son returned almost imme- 
diately, and Mr. Tull was soon exploring the 
upper rooms. They heard him open the 
various closet doors above, and draw down the 
window. Had they remained upstairs they 
would have been discovered, beyond all doubt. 

The party very shortly left the cottage. 

9 


130 


HARRY AMBLER 


Our friends, however, thought it wise to re- 
main within the house until they were sure 
that “ Brock ” was not in ambush to avenge the 
insults that had been heaped upon him from 
the window. As they were putting on their 
shoes, Tom referred to what they had just 
heard. 

“ Harry, the old villain is going to catch 
you, isn’t he ?” 

“ Yes, only he aint,” was Harry’s emphatic 
reply. “ He don’t get up early enough to do 
it — when I happen to know of his plans in 
advance.” 

During the next month the boys had ample 
opportunity to discuss the singular plan of 
which they had so singularly learned. 


CHAPTER XI 


THE STOLEN WATCH 


HE school year was at an end and the 



closing day had arrived. There were to 
be the usual pleasures and incidents connected 
with such occasions, including recitations by 
the scholars, remarks by the visitors, and the 
distribution of several prizes offered by the 
teacher. 

The day seemed to have been supplied by 
nature to special order. The early warmth 
of spring was everywhere awakening the birds 
and buds into joyful activity. It was such a 
day as would seem to suggest good-will among 
men by so clearly showing the good-will of 


God. 


The school-room, which was large for a vil- 
lage school, was crowded to its utmost limit. 
Everybody seemed to have found it entirely 
convenient to attend. The people who had 
children were there as a matter of course, and 
the others came because they had no children 
to keep them at home. 


132 


HARRY AMBLER 


Mrs. Ambler -came because there was no 
one thing so dear to her heart as the welfare 
of Harry and Nellie. Mr. Tull was on hand 
for various reasons, among which an interest 
in education was not one. 

It is perhaps due to this gentleman at this 
point to once more mention the fact that he 
was confidently expecting to be nominated 
and elected to the Legislature in the following 
November, and he knew that those who would 
reap in the autumn must not be idle in the 
spring. He missed no public occasion to 
meet, and, if possible, address the voters. It 
may surprise my readers to learn that, not- 
withstanding Mr. Tull’s somewhat defective 
use of the English language he rather prided 
himself on his oratory. 

“ There aint no tucks an’ ruffles to my 
speakin’, I know that; but somehow I al’ays 
manage to say what I want to, strong enough 
fer the man next to me to catch the idee.” 

So Mr. Tull was on hand for reasons of his 
own. 

The morning was spent in the examina- 
tion of the different classes, showing the pro- 
gress made during the term. At noon, the 
work being over, the scholars and their re- 


THE STOLEN WATCH 


133 


spective friends separated into different groups 
beneath the trees, and the occasion assumed 
the appearance of a picnic. 

Mr. Tull might be seen gliding about from 
one group to another, renewing old friendships 
with voters. It need not be said that the Am- 
bler family neither sought nor received his 
notice. 

It is not our purpose to dwell upon the va- 
ried pleasures of this occasion, nor shall we 
pause to describe the interesting exercises of 
the afternoon. To most of my young readers 
such scenes are doubtless familiar. 

Among the many complimentary speeches 
made by the visitors, Mr. Tull’s was not the 
shortest. He explained that he himself had 
not been so fortunate as to enjoy early advan- 
tages in the way of schooling, but that he had 
tried to make the best of himself through life 
by adhering strictly to the principles of 
honesty and industry. It was not for him to 
speak of the result. 

Finally he admitted that, notwithstanding 
his own success without education, he was 
firmly convinced that for the average boy 
learning was a benefit. 

“If it shall ever come to happen,” said he, 


I 34 


HARRY AMBLER 


“that I am called upon to occupy any public 
position where I haf to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ 
about our public schools, why I will vote ‘yes’ 
— a thousand times ‘yes.’ ” Satisfied from 
the applause that he had dropped a seed that 
might sprout in due time, he wisely took his 
seat. 

Then came the distribution of the several 
books purchased by the teacher to be presented 
to the scholars whose standing had been the 
highest. As far as any of our friends were 
concerned in this portion of the exercises, we 
may have the pleasure of knowing that Harry 
Ambler received a copy of The American Con- 
flict , a history of the Civil War, while Nellie 
was presented with a volume of Longfellow' s 
Poems . 

The teacher then thanked the guests for 
their interest and presence, and announced 
that the exercises were at an end. He was 
about to step from the platform when he was 
suddenly stopped by Mr. Tull. 

The latter whispered something in the 
schoolmaster’s ear which caused him to rap 
with his pencil upon the desk before him. 
The buzz of conversation which had just set in 
ceased at once. Clearly something was wrong. 


THE STOLEN WATCH 


135 


After listening to Mr. Tull’s whispered re- 
marks for a moment, the teacher spoke. 

“I am very sorry, friends,” he began, “ to 
have to add one unpleasant incident to an 
occasion which you have all done so much to 
render agreeable. Our friend, Mr. Tull, has 
been rob — or at least has lost his watch.” 

With this introduction the unfortunate Mr. 
Tull once more stepped upon the platform. His 
appearance was somewhat changed. When he 
had spoken a few moments before, his coat had 
been carefully buttoned down in front and there 
had been no evidence of disorder. Now, however, 
his coat hung loosely open and his vest showed 
marks of violence. His conspicuous watch 
chain was gone, and the buttonhole through 
which it had been looped was torn out. 

His appearance at first raised a doubt in the 
minds of Harry and Tom whether he had not 
actually been robbed, but they soon recovered 
from their delusion. 

“ Friends, I’m mighty sorry to liaf to put 
forward any trouble o’ mine at sich a time as 
this, but that watch was a very val’able time- 
piece, and I don’t by no means like the idee 
o’ lettin’ it go. If any one wants to know 
about the style of it, I’ll jest say that it’s got 
my initials cut on the front o’ the case.” 


136 


HARRY AMBLER 


“Mr. Tull,” inquired the school teacher, 
“ can’t you remember some shock when the 
watch was probably taken off? There must 
have been a good deal of force used.” 

The victim pondered for a moment. 

“It does seem to me that I felt something 
of the kind somewhere, but I can’t by no 
means make out where it was.” 

As everybody was taken by surprise, there 
were no suggestions from the audience, 
although there were at least two persons pres- 
ent who could have made some very interest- 
ing remarks upon the subject. 

“ Well,” said the teacher, at length, “ as no 
one has any information to offer, I suggest 
that when we close, all the boys set to work to 
make a search of the grounds, and if the watch 
is there I have no doubt that it will be found 
in five minutes.” 

“Jest one word more,” said Mr. Tull, “as 
a matter o’ course I’m going to use every way 
I can to git back that watch, and you can all 
see that the chances are that somehow it’ll 
be got back. Now, I know it’s jest possible 
that some young person might hav’ took 
it all of a sudden for envy, or som’thin’ like 
that, and hav’ been sorry fer it right away 


THE STOLEN WATCH 


137 


after it was done. If that should be the way 
it is, why I want to be sure that I don’t do 
nothin’ too severe. If whoever’s got it will 
bring it to me sometime to-day I promise not 
ever to say a word about it, or even to ask a 
question. Boys has made mistakes afore this 
and lived ’em down.” 

This exhibition of charity at once pleased 
the audience, and Tull received more ap- 
plause. 

The school was then dismissed, and, not 
only the scholars, but many of the visitors as 
well, set to work to hunt for the lost watch. 
Even Harry and Tom Tabor joined in the 
search to avoid attracting undue attention. 

As Tull saw our hero among the other 
searchers, his eyes twinkled shrewdly. Ap- 
proaching the teacher and a number of others 
who were discussing the matter together, he 
permitted his feelings to get the better of him. 

“ Gentlemen, there’s a thing that kind o’ 
touches me in a tender spot. You all know, 
perhaps, that I had to be pretty strict with 
the widow Ambler about her rent awhile back. 
It was jest as much fer her interest as mine,, 
ef she only seen it that way, but you can’t 
al’ays expect that. Now, there’s her boy, 


HARRY AMBLER 


138 

who must nat’rally think as I’ve been harsh 
with ’em, out there doing his very best to 
save my property for me. I tell yo’ gentle- 
men I sha’n’t ferget it.” 

By this means Mr. Tull at once called atten- 
tion to his own tenderness of heart, and, what 
was of more importance to him just then, 
to the fact that Harry Ambler was, by his 
actions, pretending to believe that the watch 
was really lost. Of course the missing watch 
was not found, and one by one the visitors 
and pupils abandoned the search and departed 
for their homes. Among the last to leave the 
grounds were the two Tulls. 

“ Wall,” remarked the senior, when he and 
Ned were alone, “ I’ve been mighty han’- 
somely robbed, ef I do say it, that hadn’t 
oughter. Now, fer recovering the stolen prop- 
erty, an’ catchin’ the outrageous thief.” 

A look of satisfaction spread over his face 
as he thought of his excellent chances for 
accomplishing both results. 

“The thing took jest like the measles, an’ 
I’ll bet a big pumpkin that the old woman 
herself locks up her valables after this, when 
she goes out an’ leaves that boy at home. 
You done it tip-top, dad.’’ 


THE STOLEN WATCH 1 39 

The pair rode on in silence, but the father 
kept up some pretty active thinking. 

Now, Mr. Tull was not a man who could 
shut his eyes to a virtue merely because it 
was his own, and he therefore realized that he 
had just completed a very artistic piece of 
work. He began very seriously to doubt 
whether after all it would not be best for 
him to see, in person, to those details which 
he had intended entrusting to Ned. He did 
not doubt Ned’s willingness to undertake 
them, but then Ned was clumsy, and this was 
a case where a single mistake might make the 
whole well-laid plan miscarry. Since he had 
succeeded so perfectly in the important pre- 
liminaries, Mr. Tull concluded that he would 
personally attend to the whole matter. He 
therefore proceeded to announce the altera- 
tions in his arrangements. 

“ Ned, you had a kind o’ hard time to git 
that Ambler boy to fight, hadn’t you ?” 

“Why, y-e-s, sort o’ hard,” responded Ned 
cautiously, and wondering why the old man 
never seemed to forget a disagreeable subject. 

“ And, if I remember right, when you did 
git him to fightin’, he walluped you pretty 
bad, didn’t he?” 


140 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Haint I told you a nough times that he 
didn’t fight fair,” replied the son, irritated by 
his father’s persistence. 

“Yes, I know you have, an’ I b’lieve you, 
too, but what I’m after is this here. I’m kind 
o’ feared that that there boy’s jest a little too 
much fer you as the thing stands, and I guess 
I’d better handle him myself fer awhile. 
When I’m done with him I reckon you won’t 
hav’ no trouble about whippin’ him— that is, 
ef he’ll fight.” 

“I don’ know as I see exactly what you’re 
a-drivin’ at,” said the mystified son. 

“Wall, to make it short, it’s this. You’d 
better let me liav’ that there lian’kerchief that 
you found — in Ambler’s coat pocket, you 
know. I’ll see that everything gets into ex- 
actly the right place, and then I’ll know the 
thing’ll turn out jest as it ought ter, that’s all.” 

“Say, you been’t afeared that I’ll peter out 
when it comes to the scratch, be you ?” 

“ No, ’taint that, but the fact is you’re young 
yet, an’ I’m goin’ to have this here thing jest 
exactly right. I want you to go along, o’ 
course, and when the thief’s discovered you’ll 
be gittin’ even all the same as ef you’d 
worked up the whole case ag’in him.” 


THE STOLEN WATCH 


1 4-1 

Ned was rather sullen for awhile and showed 
it in his manner. 

For the purpose of arousing him his father 
renewed the conversation in a little different 
direction. 

“Did you see what a hypocrite Ambler made 
o’ himself to-day ?” 

“ No, I didn’t notice nothin’ in partic’lar.” 

“Why, he went ’round lookin’ fer the watch 
jes’ to make pe’ple b’lieve he didn’t know 
nothin’ about it. They’ll all see through him 
to-morrow. I reckon I p’inted him out to a 
dozen pe’ple myself.” 

As Ned reflected on the fate of his enemy 
his spirits improved, and he remarked with 
great wisdom : 

“This here’ll take the shine off o’ somethin’ 
sure.” 


CHAPTER XII 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 


\X T HIRE Harry and Tom were engaged in 
’ ’ the search they gave no sign, even to 
one another, that they doubted Mr. Tull’s 
loss. It was not until they were well in the 
woods on their way home that Tom broke out : 

“So you stole a watch, did you? From 
what I knew o’ you I rather expected you’d 
get his purse and loose change !” 

“Well, the fact is,” explained Harry, with 
mock gravity, “beggars and pickpockets can’t 
be choosers. Times are hard and we — I speak 
now for -the whole profession — have to take 
what we can get.” 

“Just to think,” resumed Tom, with ear- 
nestness, “ what an infamous scheme this all is, 
when you see what the man actually intends 
to do.” 

“Yes, it’s pretty rough, but I guess we can 
soften it a little. By the way, how about this 
jewelry? It takes me a little by surprise.” 
142 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 


143 

“It just suits me. Wait till I come over 
this evening, an’ I’ll fix it for you.” 

“All right, Tom. Now come as soon as 
possible, for I don’t know exactly when my 
other company will arrive.” 

The friends now parted and sought their 
respective homes. 

There was nothing peculiar about the ap- 
pearance of the old mill that night. The 
moonlight, it is true, served to bring out its 
outlines and deepen its shadow, but there was 
absolutely nothing to suggest to an observer 
that the old building was inhabited. That is, 
nothing from the outside. 

Yet any one who had chanced to get a peep 
at the inside of the mill at any time between 
ten o’clock and midnight would have won- 
dered. Two obscure figures were continually 
moving about from place to place, as if seek- 
ing to escape through the blank wall. Closer 
observation would have made it clear that they 
% were keeping a lookout for something on the 
outside of the mill. If one could have be- 
lieved it to be a century earlier, the idea of 
the block-house and the midnight attack of In- 
dians would have forced itself upon the mind. 


144 


HARRY AMBLER 


Occasionally the sound of wheels passing 
along the valley road would give notice that 
some belated farmer was returning home from 
Mountville. Such sounds usually occasioned 
some remarks from the watchers in the mill, 
but at other times they were quiet. They 
even showed signs of exhaustion. One of 
them lay down upon a pile of empty grain 
sacks and, resting his head upon his clasped 
hands, fell to drowsing. The other remained 
on guard, passing from one point to another 
and listening for any unusual sound. 

It must have been half-past eleven o’clock 
when Tom Tabor approached Harry as he lay 
upon his rough but comfortable bed. 

“On deck here,” was his greeting as he 
stooped and touched the other’s shoulder. 

“All right,” responded Harry, alert in a 
moment. 

“Come over here and listen.” 

Harry obeyed and the two boys were soon 
standing at that end of the mill which was 
nearest to the public road. 

“ I hear that sound, whatever it may be,” 
replied Harry, after a moment of listening. 

“ Well, what is it ?” 

“ It’s certainly a vehicle of some kind on 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 145 

the valley road, but it moves more slowly than 
wagons generally do about these parts. I 
should say that the driver has fallen asleep 
and that the horse had found it out.” 

“ It’s stopping, anyway,” said his compan- 
ion, with some little excitement. “ I rather 
guess we’re now about to see Edward Tull, 
Esq., in his great midnight performance.” 

It seemed, however, that Tom was over- 
sanguine. Five minutes passed with no 
further sign of the expected visitor. The boys 
gazed steadily out upon the open space which 
separated the mill from the woods. This 
opening was probably fifty feet in width, and 
the light of the full moon rendered it almost 
as much exposed to view as at midday. Yet 
this space must be crossed by any one who 
would reach the mill. Its approach from any 
other direction was practically out of the 
question by reason of the miller’s house on 
one side, and the creek on the other. 

Suddenly a new sound greeted the boys. 
It was the noise made by rolling stones and 
pebbles that had been displaced by some one 
climbing up the pathway by the side of the 
Falls grade. The noise was a mere trifle, but 
Harry was confident that it announced the 
10 


HARRY AMBLER 


146 

arrival of liis expected visitor. For some 
minutes all was again quiet. 

At length Harry, without removing his eye 
from the point of observation, extended his 
arm and grasped Tom by the shoulder. The 
latter at once understood that a discovery had 
been made. Increasing his own vigilance, he 
soon caught sight of the object that had 
caused Harry’s demonstration. 

Just within the line of trees and almost 
concealed by their shadows, he made out a 
dark object of considerable size but of uncer- 
tain form. It was in motion, but instead of 
coming out upon the open ground it was mov- 
ing cautiously along the line of the woods. 

The exceeding brightness was evidently not 
an agreeable circumstance to the new arrival. 
Even at midnight it looked like a rather 
doubtful undertaking to attempt to advance 
unseen from the woods to th.e mill. Any per- 
son who should chance to look from the win- 
dows of the miller’s house could not fail to 
notice the erect figure of a man engaged upon 
such a journey. It was probable that even 
from their beds some of the family, if they 
chanced to awaken, would notice the unsea- 
sonable traveler. 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 


147 


But the thing must be done, and the myste- 
rious stranger within the shadows at length 
decided upon his line of action. The next 
moment the dark object emerged from the 
woods and advanced deliberately towards the 
mill. The boys gave a start of surprise. 
Up to this time they had been unable to make 
out the form of their visitor, but they had 
firmly expected to find that it was a human 
being of about their own size. 

Now, however, to their amazement they be- 
held a great clumsy quadruped approaching 
the mill. His progress was painfully slow, 
and it soon became evident to the spectators 
that his present mode of locomotion was not 
in all respects comfortable. This was shown 
by the difficulty which he experienced in “ get- 
ting down to his gait,” as horsemen would say. 
First he advanced the front and rear foot upon 
the same side simultaneously, then he alter- 
nated one front and the opposite hind foot. 
Each of these movements soon seemed to be- 
come very tedious, and he ventured upon two 
or three lumbering jumps by way of a change. 
The grunt of discomfort which distinctly 
reached the boys made it evident that even 
galloping did not suit him. 


148 


HARRY AMBLER 


In this fanciful manner the singular jour- 
ney was at length completed. The next mo- 
ment the animal arose upon his hind legs and 
extended his fore limbs to the edge of the mill 
platform. The boys now had no difficulty in 
recognizing the specimen. 

The visitor at once set about the business 
on hand. He carefully examined the sup- 
ports of the platform, feeling along beneath 
the floor, as if in search of some convenient 
nook or corner. He soon found what he 
sought. 

He now produced a white package of moder- 
ate size, and reaching once more beneath the 
platform, he disposed of it to his great appar- 
ent satisfaction. After a pause for rest from 
his exertions, he proceeded to brush off the 
dust which had accumulated upon his person 
during the operation, and prepared to effect 
his retreat. He would have very gladly 
adopted the shorter method of making the 
return trip, but a glance at the staring win- 
dows of the house convinced him that he could 
not be too cautious. It was indeed fortunate 
that he had not entrusted the delicate matter 
to one of less wisdom. 

His progress as a quadruped was neces- 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 


149 


sarily slow, and his occasional efforts at 
increasing his speed were exceedingly gro- 
tesque. The thing, however, was accom- 
plished at last, and the boys again heard the 
sound of wheels upon the valley road. These 
sounds increased in speed as they became less 
distinct, until at length the midnight air 
brought back nothing to disturb the silence. 

The two sentinels thus relieved from their 
long vigil, came from the mill. They had but 
little difficulty in finding the place of secret 
deposit so cautiously selected by their late 
visitor. Speedily making such changes in 
the arrangement of things as seemed to them 
wise, they sought their beds. Tom was to be 
Harry’s guest for the rest of the night. 

At the Tull residence Mr. Tull and his 
worthy son were separating for the night. 

“ My son, ef you want to see a grief-stricken 
an’ surprised man, jest keep your weather eye 
on me to-morrow ef it should turn out that 
Ambler stole that watch. I never could hav’ 
b’lieved it, never.” 

“Wall, dad,” replied Ned, who was some- 
thing of a wit himself, “ I’ll try to look at yer, 
but my own feelin’s is rather tender, and it’s 


HARRY AMBLER 


150 

jest possible that I’ll be weeping some my- 
self ef tbat ’ere thing should unfortunately 
come out that way. Let’s hope lie’s inner- 
cent.” 

The father and son parted with this kindly 
flow of good humor, which always does so 
much to render the family relation charming. 

In view of Ned’s closing benediction upon 
our hero, we must feel some regret that he 
himself was not to be permitted to enjoy the 
few remaining hours of the night in unbroken 
slumber. 

The past experiences, and immediate ex- 
pectations for the future, kept both father and 
son from at once falling asleep, and even when 
they had yielded to slumber their dreams may 
well have followed the interesting direction 
taken by their previous thoughts. 

Ned had been dozing but a short time when 
he was awakened by a noise in his father’s 
room. As the elder Tull was notoriously 
addicted to the habit of walking in his sleep, 
the disturbing sounds did not greatly alarm 
his son. As they continued, however, and 
Ned became wider awake, it seemed to him 
that there was something unusual in their 
character. Moved by curiosity, he slipped 


THE MIDNIGHT VISIT 151 

from his bed, and, hastening to the paternal 
room, he stealthily opened the door. 

By the moonlight which streamed in at the 
window, he could easily distinguish the dif- 
ferent objects before him. As he had expected, 
his father’s bed was empty. He glanced 
hastily around for the stalwart figure of his 
wandering parent. It was not in sight. A 
second, and more deliberate look, however, 
explained the situation. 

There, in about the centre of the room, 
clad in the airy garments of the night, and 
just tinged by the pale moonlight, was the 
picturesque form of his sire. He was making 
the tour of the apartment — upon all fours . 

In his dreams he was repeating the journey 
from the woods to the mill. As he ventured 
boldly into the moonlit space upon the carpet, 
Ned was astonished at the deliberation of his 
movements. He was regulating his step with 
the utmost care. Now he advanced briskly 
for a few seconds, and now again he would 
bring each limb into action separately, and 
with noticeable dignity of manner. Suddenly, 
and without warning, he changed his gait. 
Drawing his weight back upon his hindmost 
limbs, he launched himself with cheerful vigor 


T 52 


HARRY AMBLER 


forward, and, as it happened, directly against 
his washstand. 

As his very substantial head, driven by his 
portly body, struck the slight stand, the latter 
yielded to the shock and went down. The 
well-filled pitcher that was upon the stand, at 
once turned over towards the side from which 
the blow had come. In doing this it promptly 
and gracefully emptied its chilling contents 
upon the unconscious person of its assailant. 

Instantly an indescribable howl awoke the 
echoes of the Tull mansion. This was fol- 
lowed by some remarks of a general but em- 
phatic nature, but V'hich have no direct bear- 
ing upon this narrative and are omitted from 
these pages. 

Ned hastily closed the door and thus pre- 
vented us from any further view of Mr. Tull’s 
action upon the occasion. Returning to his 
own room, the son drew the covers over his 
head and indulged in a most violent outburst 
of emotion. Such striking exhibitions of 
filial devotion were indeed rare in Ned’s ex- 
perience. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 

O N the morning after the closing of the 
school and the loss of Mr. Tull’s watch, 
an unusually large crowd of men and boys 
had collected at Feland’s store. Feland’s store 
was the largest building at the Crossing, and 
it accommodated not only the village store 
but the post-office and public hall as well. 

Any one who is acquainted with rural life 
will readily understand that the occurrences 
of the day before had caused considerable ex- 
citement among the neighboring farmers, and 
the matter was receiving full discussion by 
the Saturday-morning crowd that had gathered 
on the porch of the store. Just when there 
was the most lively guessing as to what action 
Mr. Tull would be likely to take, that gentle- 
man himself joined the throng. 

He requested those present to go with 
him into the public hall that was over the 
store, and from his manner it was pretty 

153 


T 54 


HARRY AMBLER 


clear that he had some very definite plan in 
his mind. 

He mounted the platform and called the 
meeting to order. 

“ Gentlemen, I reckon you mostly know 
what I want to say. It aint nothing particu- 
lar that it happened to be my watch what was 
taken, but we can’t none o’ us afford to have 
pickpockets an’ thieves around the Crossing. 

“ Now, seein’ as I was the fust victum, I’ve 
jes’ took it on myself to make up a kind o’ 
plan o’ action, and see what you all think 
about it. 

“ In the fust place, we ought to organize 
some way so’s we’ll all be actin’ together like, 
an’ so’s everybody’ll have a say.” 

“ I move we organize a Vigilance Commit- 
tee,” said John Feland, the owner of the store, 
“ with Mr. Tull as the chairman.” 

The name and idea took at once, and the 
motion was adopted. 

“ Now, gentlemen,” continued Tull, “this 
thing has give me a heap o’ trouble all last 
night, and my head feels zif it lied been stove 
in on top — it does fer a fac’. 

“ Now, this here is what I suggest, and if 
it’s any good it must be done right off. 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 155 

“ We don’t suspect no particular person, 
but it’s almost sure some boy must ha’ took 
that watch, an’ if that’s so, why the watch 
is jist now hid away in some boy’s hidin’- 
place. 

“ Now s’pose everybody here that happens 
to know of any sicli hidin’-places will jest 
write them down on a piece of paper and 
hand ’em to Mr. Feland, why we’ll have an- 
other piece o’ information to go on with. Of 
course, nobody need sign their name, nor men- 
tion any particular boy. 

“ Then we can give the list to Job Firth an’ 
have him make the examination right off, be- 
fore anything could be changed. It’s only a 
chance, I know that well enough, but some- 
times jest sich plans works if they’re carried 
out prompt.” 

Nobody having any other plan to suggest, 
and this one having the recommendation of 
novelty, it was at once adopted. Mr. Tull, re- 
marking that he didn’t know much about boys 
himself, was not observed to do any writing 
nor to drop any slip in the hat that was passed 
around. Mr. Feland turned the slips all out 
on the table and he and the chairman made 
the necessary examination. When it was 


HARRY AMBLER 


j 56 

completed, Mr. Tull once more arose and 
addressed the meeting. 

“Thare’s another thing, gentlemen, that’s 
’bout as important as ketchin’ the thief. 
That’s what shall we do with him after he’s 
got? 

“ It’s better to settle it now afore anybody’s 
got any idee as to the guilty party, and I want 
to say a few words in favor o’ not bein’ too 
severe. 

“ Ef by any possibility it should turn out 
that the watch was took by any o’ the school- 
boys ,as had never been caught in anything o’ 
the kind before, why, I fer one, aint in favor 
o’ turning him over to be put in jail. I’d 
rather make a mistake on the side o’ mercy. 

“ It will be all right to do whatever is 
needed to protect* our place here ag’in thieves, 
but don’t let’s be too hard on a boy — that is, if 
it turns out to be a boy that done it.” 

“ Let’s give him a week to leave the place, 
and see that he don’t come back ag’in,” sug- 
gested somebody in the room. 

This suggestion being in exact agreement 
with the chairman’s views, he put the motion 
promptly and it was carried without dissent. 

The constable was to report to the com- 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 157 

mittee at ten o’clock on Monday morning, to 
which time the meeting adjourned. 

The chairman was highly gratified at the 
shape things had taken. 

He was perfectly confident that the single 
slip of paper which he had prepared before- 
hand and mixed with the others in counting, 
had gotten in unobserved by any one. It was 
simply impossible, therefore, to connect him 
with the examination of the old mill, even if 
he had been suspected. 

The motion to drive the guilty party from 
the Crossing, instead of having him arrested, 
was exactly what he wanted. If Harry Am- 
bler was compelled to go away under such 
circumstances, his mother and sister would 
surely follow. 

He once more recognized the wisdom of 
having attended to the whole important affair 
himself. 

“ I reckon both me an’ Bates will be feelin’ 
easier by this time next week.” 

It was just past ten o’clock on Monday 
morning when a small boy in the road in 
front of the store made the announcement : 

“ Heer comes Job, an’ he’s got a feller wid 
him, too.” 


HARRY AMBLER 


153 

Sure enough the constable was in sight, 
and by his side sat a boy whose identity 
became the subject of general surmise at once. 
Before many minutes had passed the question 
was settled, as Job and Harry Ambler dis- 
mounted and proceeded towards the hall. 

Our hero found the occasion a much more 
trying one than he had expected. There 
were between one and two hundred people at 
the store awaiting his arrival. Most of them 
had known him for years, and had been his 
friends. Under these circumstances he could 
not avoid the force of the knowledge that 
now he stood before the people of his own 
neighborhood surrounded by facts that pointed 
very directly to him as a thief. 

Of the whole roomful there was but one — 
Tom Tabor — who knew the real circumstances 
of the case. It was not surprising that the 
audience observed that the boy’s face was 
deathly pale as, followed by Job, he pushed 
his way through the crowd to the chair that 
had been reserved for him on the platform. 

The seriousness of the situation, and 
Harry’s bearing under the trying ordeal, lent 
all the dignity of a court of justice to the 
singular assemblage. Even Tull seemed im- 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 1 59 

pressed by the scene, and his voice was not 
quite natural as he called upon Job Firth 
for his report. 

“Well, Mr. Chairman, it aint very long, 
though I’ve been a good while arter it. It 
aint no account, I reckon, to tell all the places 
where I went an’ didn’t find nothing. 

“ Now one o’ the p’ints writ down fer me to 
look arter was under the platform o’ the mill 
up at the Falls — Conner’s mill. When I 
come to look into that localitjq why, I found 
a watch done up in a white handkerchief. It 
was laid on one o’ the j’ists that runs under 
the platform. 

“ It was tied up mighty tight, and, as I 
could swear from the feel that it was a watch, 
I didn’t untie it at all. I thought that it might 
be more satisfactory all ’round ef it was brung 
in jest the way I found it. 

“ Then I happened to see this boy, Harry 
Ambler, who lives at Conner’s. I told him 
jest how it was, and he wanted to know ef it 
all meant that he was suspected o’ stealin’ the 
watch, an’ I had to say yes. Then he jist put 
on his cap, and came right along with me with- 
out any complaint whatsoever. Now, he’s 
here, and here’s the watch.” 


l6o HARRY AMBLER 

With this, Job produced an ordinary white 
handkerchief containing a watch, as was clearly 
manifest from its form, as he held it up for a 
moment before laying it on the desk. 

“ Gentlemen, you’ve heered the report o’ 
the constable, now what will you do next ?” 

“ Take out the watch,” exclaimed several 
voices at once. 

“Well, Mr. Constable, s’pose you perceed to 
untie the knots of that handkerchief, and let’s 
see whether the watch is the one that we’re 
lookin’ fer.” 

The task proved harder than was antici- 
pated. It seemed to have been tied with the 
idea that it would remain fastened for some 
time. At length, however, Job succeeded in 
getting one corner of it free. 

Mr. Tull, who was closely watching the 
operation, now noticed a mark upon the corner 
that was loose, and leaning forward asked Job 
to stop. 

“ Gentlemen, I observe that there’s some 
kind of a mark or name on the han’kerchief 
that’s wrapped around the watch, and as that 
may possibly shed some light on the unfor- 
tunate affair, I’ll jest ask the constable to read 
it out.” 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE l6l 

Mr. Tull placed his hand behind his ear to 
hear the words. 

“ Wall, it won’t take much time to do that. 
Them letters is ‘ H. A.’ as plain as news- 
paper printin’.” 

There were sounds of suppressed excite- 
ment about the room, and some one, more 
nervous than the rest, spoke up from near the 
door : 

“ Is that your’n, Harry ?” 

Mr. Tull was on his feet in an instant. It 
was a favorable opportunity to show his own 
sense of fair play without at all injuring the 
object which he had in view. With the cer- 
tainty of convicting Harry at the end, he 
could afford to be very impartial as to the 
means. He spoke, therefore, with considera- 
ble indignation : 

“ Gentlemen, I sha’n’t allow any sich ques- 
tion as that, and I’m surprised at its being 
asked. No court would allow a man — much 
less an unexperienced boy — to be asked sich 
a damagin’ question. Of course, you can 
draw any inference you like from the letters 
on the han’kerchief, that’s fair enough, but 
you can’t ask the boy to tell that he’s 
guilty.” 


162 


HARRY AMBLER 


There was some applause at this show of 
protecting the boy, and Mr. Tull was en- 
couraged to go further. 

“ The committee must remember that ini- 
tial’s aint names. Them letters might stand 
fer — ” 

The speaker paused, unable on the moment 
to recall any name which began with the de- 
sired initials. In his hesitation he happened 
to turn towards Harry, who assumed that the 
matter was thus referred to him. 

“ They might stand for Hillard Adams,” he 
replied, thoughtfully. 

Tull was somewhat taken aback. It had 
not been his purpose to actually make any 
practical suggestion, and, indeed, he had not 
contemplated the existence of any name that 
would divert suspicion from Harry. 

“ But,” quietly resumed our hero, to the de- 
light of the two Tulls and the dismay of his 
own friends, “ they don’t. They stand for 
Henry Ambler.” 

“ Did you tie it up ?” came from the same 
voice that Tull had already once suppressed. 

“ Yes; I tied it up, and I guess I’d better 
be allowed to untie it. The handkerchief is 
mine and the watch inside is mine, and I pro- 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 163 

pose to take them both home with me when 
you’ve all had a good look at them.” 

Mr. Tull’s emotions may easily be imagined 
as he heard these confident declarations. He 
was, however, allowed but little time for re- 
flection. 

The handkerchief was spread open on the 
table and everybody but the chairman started 
forward to get a view of the contents. 

Tull had already arisen to get the first 
glimpse of his lost time-piece. He stood for 
a moment supporting himself by his hands 
upon the edge of the desk. The next mo- 
ment he dropped with a most substantial 
sound into the uncushioned chair. 

There, in fact, was a watch of the proper 
size and shape, and for a second the bewil- 
dered man wondered whether it could by any 
possibility be his own handsome time-piece. 
If so it must have devoted the night to dissi- 
pation, for it now bore most palpable marks 
of a hard life. Its brass case exhibited many 
a dent, while its broken hand pointed with 
seeming pride to the numerous cracks that 
decorated its ancient dial. We are unable to 
give its exact history, but when Tom had pre- 
sented it to Harry on the previous evening 


164 


HARRY AMBLER 


he said that his grandfather remembered when 
the old watch used to keep time — away back 
in the ’40s. 

The excitement now exceeded all bounds. 
Harry, spreading the handkerchief upon the 
desk, turned to Mr. Tull. 

“ Mr. Tull, I’m ready and willing to answer 
any questions which you may wish to ask. 
Would you like to know how I happened to 
place the old watch under the mill platform ?” 

This too frank offer revived the wilted 
chairman much.as a sniff of hartshorne might 
have done. As he looked at the undaunted 
boy who stood before him he realized that a 
Avord from himself would bring out the story 
of his own villainy. He did not know how 
Harry could have gotten at it, but he felt very 
confident that his own design as to the theft 
of his watch was fully understood by the boy. 

“ No, no, you don’t haf to explain anything. 
It’s all a mistake, and I’m sorry of it — we’re 
all very sorry of it. You all know how I’ve 
been telling you to be careful and not jump 
to conclusions, and now this proves it all. 
Gentleman, this meeting is over.” 

Harry found it very difficult to escape from 
the crowd without giving more expiana- 


I’M ready to answer any questions 














* 

































































- 














































t- 
















































































































































' 






















































































THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 1 65 

tions of the circumstances than he thought 
advisable. He would have described the whole 
situation if Tull had asked for the informa- 
tion, but upon the whole he was not sorry to 
see the man avoid the exposure. He felt that 
by holding the knowledge of his wicked plan 
over him as a threat, Mr. Tull would hardly 
dare to undertake any further persecution of 
himself or family. 

The delicate task of consoling the crest- 
fallen Tull fell to his son Ned, whose golden 
rule in such matters was “ to do as he had 
been done by.” 

“ Say, dad, it seems to me that you aint 
makin’ a howling success o’ this thing.” 

“What in thunder do you know about what 
I’m really tryin’ to do. Things aint al’ays 
jest what they looks at fust sight. S’pose 
this here thing turns out to be exactly the 
way I really wanted it ?” and he si.ared at his 
son defiantly. 

“Well, if it is, why all I’ve got to say is 
that you take yer good luck mighty hard.” 

“1 reckon I aint bound to be .gigglin’ and 
winkin’ all the hull time like a school boy, 
am I ? If you’d hev’ knowd what you was 
about as well as I do, you’d never have let 


i66 


HARRY AMBLER 


that boy give you sich a lambastin’ as he 
did.” 

This point wasn’t quite so sore with Ned 
now as it had been at first and it did not 
silence him. 

“ Dad, it’s mighty cheerin’ to know that 
you’re having the thing all your 'own way. 
It kind o’ looked to me like this. The widow, 
she didn’t want to stay any longer on the 
farm after Ambler died, and not wanting to 
pay any back rent neither, why what does she 
do? She jest works it so’s you gits scared 
and flies around like a wet hen. You gets 
the constable, an’ me, an’ a nigger, to move 
her things out to the wagon for nothin’ ‘ with 
neatness and dispatch,’ as the advertisements 
say. Then, as you’d treated her so bad in the 
matter, why Conner, he takes ’em all in and 
keeps ’em fer nothing as long as they wants 
to stay. You lets the back rent go of course, 
an’ aint got nobody else to rent the place to 
neither. That’s your first move, and I must 
say that it was pretty gen’rous of you. But 
that aint the best you can do — not by no 
means. I didn’t know you was particular fond 
o’ that boy, but it seems you was. • You goes 
at midnight and puffs an’ scrambles up the 


THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 167 

Trust hill in the destrict, an’ crawls on yer 
stomach fer about half an hour, and all fer 
what ? Why, jest to make Ambler a present 
o’ yer fine gold watch an’ chain. That there’s 
what I call lib’ral — I do fer sure.” 

The old man was so exasperated that he 
was unable to utter a word in defence. 


CHAPTER XIV 


A QUEER CUSTOMER 

PRIVATE conference took place that 



evening between the miller and the two 
boys. The latter explained to the miller their 
recent experiences as to tlie watch, and it is 
not necessary to here describe Mr. Conner’s 
alternate surprise, indignation, and amuse- 
ment as the narrative proceeded. 

As to the disposition of the singular prize, 
it was decided to entrust it to Mr. Conner for 
safe keeping until such time as the boys 
should think wise to restore it to the owner. 

“ He knows that I have it, Mr. Conner, and 
if he ever asks for it I’m going to tell him 
that he can receive it at Feland’s store on the 
next Saturday afternoon, and then I’ll fix it 
so that there’ll be a big crowd on hand and 
I’ll explain to them exactly how it all hap- 
pened.” 

“Weel,” replied the miller, “ it’s like enow 
that I’ll have the watch a long time if it only 
goes back on those terms.” 


1 63 


A QUEER CUSTOMER 169 

“ Oh, we may change the terms after 
awhile, but that arrangement will do for the 
present.” 

Perhaps the most difficult restraint that 
Tull had ever had to undergo was that which 
was necessary after this occurrence, whenever 
he happened to meet Harry alone on the road 
or elsewhere. He really prized the watch very 
much, and would have been perfectly willing 
to pay a good reward for its return, “ and 110 
questions asked.” But right here was the 
rub. He understood very clearly from the 
boy’s bearing that he might insist upon an- 
swering a lot of questions without waiting 
for them to be asked. 

He also tormented himself with another 
fear. He of course knew that the family 
was in need of money, and he knew that the 
watch might be made to supply that need for 
some time to come. The boy seemed to have 
let the whole matter pass so thoroughly from 
his mind, as far as Tull could see, that the 
landlord became convinced that his valued 
time-piece must have been disposed of for 
cash. It was probably now in the window of 
some Philadelphia pawnbroker awaiting the 
lucky customer whose name would fit the 
initials. 


170 


HARRY AMBLER 


Now that school was over, it at once became 
necessary for Harry to get to work that he 
might be earning something towards the sup- 
port of the family. It was Mrs. Ambler’s 
desire to pay her way as soon and as fully as 
possible, and in this her children sympathized 
with her. 

For a month or so, Harry was able to 
get work with the farmers of the neighbor- 
hood, and thus earned small sums of money, 
which he took delight in handing to his mother 
at the end of each week. After work of this 
kind was through with, he adopted the some- 
what novel occupation of selling paper lamp- 
shades. 

Since the family had been at the miller’s, 
Nellie had become interested in the work 
of making these beautiful ornaments. She 
seemed to have a special skill in combining 
the delicately tinted paper so as to produce 
the best effects. By the use of perforating 
needles she wrought quaint designs through 
the paper which only became visible when 
placed about the lighted lamp. 

• Several of the farmers who had business 
with Mr. Conner had noticed her work, and 
purchased shades from her at very profitable 


A QUEER CUSTOMER 171 

prices. This had suggested to Harry the 
possibility of earning still more by traveling 
from farm to farm with the shades and offering 
them for sale. It never once occurred to him 
that there was anything undignified or dis- 
agreeable in doing whatever he could to aid 
his mother by any honest means. 

For the most part he was pleasantly re- 
ceived, and was quite successful in making 
sales, but it is not our purpose to follow his 
footsteps upon his daily journeys as a travel- 
ing salesman. There was but one of these 
trips that concerns us now. 

It will be remembered that Harry had 
attempted to learn all that he could as to the 
whereabouts of the runaway colored boy, Jock, 
but that he had never ventured to approach 
the old woman, Mann, upon the subject. He 
at length decided to pay her a visit, and as a 
ready excuse for the purpose, he got Nellie to 
make him a lamp-shade of brilliant green 
paper. Upon this she worked a child’s face 
in profile. By particular attention to the out- 
lines she made it reasonably clear that the 
features were those of a negro child, but of 
course without any attempt at reproducing 
the likeness of any particular person. Armed 


172 


HARRY AMBLER 


with this and other works of art, Harry one 
day knocked at the door of the cabin in the 
woods. It was opened by the only occupant. 

“ Good morning, ma’am,” said our hero po- 
litely, “ would you like to buy a shade?” 

“Wat’s deni?” inquired Marin with sus- 
picion. 

“Why, shades,” faltered the boy, a little 
bit taken aback at the sudden demand for an 
explanation, “ shades are to shut off part of 
the light, you know. They make things look 
a little bit darker and a good deal prettier.” 

“Well, sah, does you see anything right 
’round hyar dat needs to be made berry much 
darker dan it already am ? I’m suah I doesn’t. 
And den ’bout making things berry much 
prettier, sah, I’se out-libed all dat vanification 
long time ago. I don’t ’spect to spend much 
mo’ money on my good looks nohow.” 

Harry explained that his wares were in- 
tended to be useful as well as ornamental. 

“ Now, sah, ef you’d jes’ brung ’long wid 
you some good yeller washin’ soap, I kind o’ 
guess I’d ha’ buyed some.” 

Regretting that he had none of the article 
with him, Harry took the liberty of seating 
himself on the door-step, as he exhibited his 


A queer customer 


173 


shades. He hoped that Marm’s fancy might 
be attracted by some of the bright colors, and 
in this hope he was not disappointed. She 
soon began to show unmistakable signs of in- 
terest. The young merchant now explained 
that a lighted lamp was necessary to bring 
out the beauties of the shades, and his hostess 
cheerfully procured one. 

He watched her with amusement as, one 
after the other, she tried them all. . When 
she had reached the- green shade in its turn, 
she stood in silent admiration of the child’s 
face, which had not attracted her attention 
until the light brought it out. After her first 
surprise was passed she turned to her visitor. 

“Who made dat ’are likeness?” 

“ My sister made them all. Don’t you 
think it’s pretty good ?” 

“ Yes, sah, berry good, indeed. Wonder ef 
she ever saw my Jock ?” 

“ That’s the boy that run away, isn’t it ? 
The one that the newspapers spoke about ?” 

“ Dat’s the same boy, sah. Wonder ef your 
sister eber seed him ?” 

“ Yes, I think she saw him sometimes over 
on the Mountville road.” 

“ Den, sah, I’se mighty right suah dat she’s 


174 


HARRY AMBLER 


made dat picter fer dat boy. It’s jest ’zactly 
like dat boy, when he war lookin’ at yo’ wid 
de side ob his face — jest ’zactly.” 

And the old woman moved around at dif- 
ferent angles to the profile, with the apparent 
expectation of getting a different expression 
on the face from the different stand-points. 

“ Where is Jock by this time ?” asked Harry, 
with assumed carelessness. 

“ He am now in de State ob Philadelphy.” 

“What makes you think that?” 

“ Oh, ’cause he went off in dat d’rection in 
de fust place, and den in de nex’ place ’cause 
ob dat ’are post offus card letter,” and she 
pointed to a postal card, which was just visi- 
ble through the wire' screen of the closet door. 

“What does he say about Philadelphia?” 
persisted Harry. 

Marm opened the door and handed the card 
to her inquisitive visitor. It was without 
date, bore the Philadelphia post mark, and 
was written in a very fair business hand. 
Harry read it as follows : 

“ Marm, I didn’t do it. Jock, (by Murray, 
Lieutenant, 5th Div. Pliila.)” 

It was directed to “ Marm, on Rab’s Run, 
below the Ford, and not more than three miles 
from Mountville, Pa.” 


A QUEER CUSTOMER 


*75 


Harry felt a strong desire to possess tlie 
postal as an aid to the search which he hoped 
to make for the runaway boy. He knew that 
it would not do to arouse her suspicions by 
making any direct effort to retain it, So he 
handed it back with no great show of interest. 

The old colored woman was still dazzled by 
the green shade. She, however, knew exactly 
what she wanted, and was better prepared 
than our hero to set about obtaining it. 

“ I ’spect now, honey, you’se goin’ to gib 
me dat one, jest to ’member yer good lookin’ 
face by, aint yo’, now ?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t be getting rich very fast 
if I did business that way, would I ?” 

“ Oh, now wat’s a spry young gen’man like 
you is care fer gittin’ rich. You neber had 
no trouble ’bout makin’ plenty o’ money 
nohow.” 

“ But you forget that the paper costs money, 
and then the work of making the shade and 
the trouble of bringing it over here.” 

“ Now, ch.il’,” said the old woman in a con- 
fidential tone, “you jest look at it this liyar 
way. Dat paper didn’t cos’ much. I wouldn’t 
’fuse to gib you a piece ob paper ef it was 
mine, and you wanted it berry much, you 


176 


HARRY AMBLER 


knows dat yerself. Den I know well nuff dat 
de sister ob sicli a fine young gen’man as you 
would be suah to let de ol’ woman hab de 
wo’k wat’s put onto.it. Dat am certain suah. 
Den ’bout the trouble ob cornin’ ober to de 
Run ; why I guess de pleasure ob dis conver- 
sation pays up fer dat, don’t it ?” 

“ Yu’d make a pretty good jury lawyer, 
I’m sure of that anyway. But why do you 
want that one in particular ?” 

“Jest ’cause it hab dat ’are likeness on it. 
Dat boy made me orful mad sometimes, but 
mos’ ob de time he war a mighty ’fectionate 
chil’, an’ I berry much like to hab somethiu’ 
around dat ’minds me ’bout him. Dat nose 
am wonderful like Jock,” and at the mention 
of the name she thoughtfully picked up the 
postal card once more. 

“ Now, I wonder if you’d give me anything 
that I cared for. I’d like to have that postal 
card.” 

“ Oh, dat am a berry dif’rent thing. Dat’s 
some good to me, an’ it aint no kind o’ use to 
you. If it war any good to you, why den it 
would be more like de same case.” 

“Yes,” said Harry, with great apparent dis- 
gust, “ I thought you’d find some reason for 
not letting me have it.” 


A QUEER CUSTOMER 


1,7 7 

“ Ef you am in arnest, why I’ll tell yer 
what. Ef you’ll write all dem words off dat 
card outer a piece ob paper — yer can write, 
can’t yer ?” asked she, checking herself sud- 
denly in laying down the terms of the pro- 
posed transaction. 

“ Yes, I can write.” 

“ Well, chiP, you jest write ’em orf fust 
and see ef dey am jest as easy ter read as de 
ole ones.” 

She brought paper and pen and Harry 
copied everything that was on the card. The 
result was more satisfactory than she had ex- 
pected. 

“ Dat’ll do fust rate. Now I’se ready to 
trade eben.” 

Harry accepted the offer and became the 
owner of the only word that had been received 
Irom Jock since his departure. 

Before leaving the cabin Harry found it 
necessary to warn Marin against the extrava- 
gance of keeping the lamp lighted all day. 
They parted on excellent terms. 

Not long after this Harry made an arrange- 
ment with Mr. Feland, the storekeeper, which 
finally brought about an important change in 
his own plans. Mr. Feland agreed to receive 
12 


HARRY AMBLER 


178 

all the lamp-shades at his store and sell them 
for a small commission and to pay the balance 
to Mrs. Ambler. 

When this had been settled, Harry for the 
first time saw a chance to do what he had for 
a long time desired. We need not repeat the 
arguments by which he at length convinced 
his mother of the wisdom of his course, but 
will only say that it was finally arranged, with 
.her assent, that Harry should try his fortune 
in Philadelphia. 


CHAPTER XV 


SAVING THK MILL 

must now pass over the period of a 



* * month, with only the briefest reference 
to the incidents. 

Harry had gone to Philadelphia and began 
his battle for independence. He had expe- 
rienced some heart-sickness as he realized that 
he was now in a world of busy strangers, who 
seemed to ask no favors and to grant none. 

He had but barety earned enough for his 
daily support, and the success which he 
sought seemed as far away as ever. 

He had made but one acquaintance, a boy 
named George Carrol, whose room was next 
to his own in the plain lodging-house that had 
become his home in the city. Carrol was a 
machinist employed in the Baldwin locomo- 
tive works, and he and Harry only met in the 
mornings and evenings. 

At about the time of which we are now 
speaking, Harry had been particularly de- 


179 


l8o HARRY AMBLER 

pressed by the news from home. His mother 
wrote him that Mr. Conner was now idle most 
of the time, as Mr. Tull’s new mill had 
almost entirely withdrawn the business upon 
which he had depended for his support. 

The thought of the honest miller’s distress 
came to Harry at almost every hour in the 
day, and he would have been glad to have had 
the power to ward off the disaster which now 
seemed so certain. 

This wish came upon him most strongly 
one day as he stood watching one of the great 
grain elevators lifting its vast burden of grain 
and shooting it into a ship that was loading 
in the river. 

If only Mr. Conner could afford such a plan 
for raising the grain to his mill ! The idea 
seemed ridiculous as he realized the immense 
cost of the machinery, and yet Harry did not 
entirely dismiss the hope. Instead it came 
back to his mind again and again, until at 
last it set him seriously to work. 

Little by little he altered and modified the 
plan of the great elevator, until he had a 
scheme which he believed might solve the 
problem of the Falls grade. He talked it 
over with Carrol and was encouraged to reduce 


SAVING THE MILL 


181 


his plan to paper, and to persevere in putting 
it into practical form. 

While this was passing he received a letter 
from Mr. Conner himself, announcing that he 
would soon have to come to Philadelphia upon 
most unpleasant business. It had become 
necessary for him to mortgage his home to 
raise the money needed for his family ex- 
penses during the coming winter, and he could 
borrow the money better in Philadelphia than 
nearer home. 

Accordingly, upon his return to his room 
after a day of tramping, Harry was not 
greatly surprised to find Mr. Conner awaiting 
his arrival. 

“ Weel, lad, the worst has come, and so have 
I,” was the miller’s greeting. 

“ I’m glad to see you anyway, and I hope 
the worst won’t turn out so bad after all. But 
before we talk of that I want you to go with 
me to supper and tell me all about the folks 
at home. There’s a friend of mine that I 
want to make you acquainted with, too, if it’s 
agreeable.” 

“Very weel, lad, it’ll be pleasant enow for 
me, I’m sure, but I hope you’ll take it kindly 
from me if I warn you against hasty friend- 


i 82 


HARRY AMBLER 


ships in the big towns. Yon can na be too 
careful.” 

“ I’m glad to have you advise me, but after 
you’ve met Carrol I don’t believe you’ll have 
any of that feeling about him.” 

The subject of their conversation came 
along in a few minutes, and was duly made 
acquainted with the miller. The party then 
went to supper, and Harry had an opportunity 
to learn of the little events that always get 
left out of letters, and yet are sufficiently in- 
teresting to be spoken of. Nothing was said 
as to the matter which had brought Mr. Con- 
ner to the city. 

Harry was amused to notice the secret 
inspection that the miller seemed to be 
making of the young machinist. No word, 
act, or look of the latter seemed to escape 
him. 

After their meal, and when the three had 
taken a short walk along Chestnut Street, 
they returned to Harry’s room. Seeing that 
his guest was now ready for business, Harry 
brought out his own scheme. 

“Now, Mr. Conner,” he began, “ Mr. Carrol 
and myself have thought and talked over 
your trouble a good deal, and we’ve worked 


SAVING THE MILE 


I8 3 

out a plan which we hope may help you if 
you think well enough of it to give it a trial.” 

“ I’m very greatly obliged to you both for 
your kind intentions,” he said, with just a 
little bit of suspicion in his tone, “ but the 
fact is I’ve already decided where I’ll go to 
borrow the money, so there’s naught left but 
to have the papers made out and the money 
paid over. I’m thankful to you all the same.” 

“ It’s about the mill itself and not the 
money that we’ve been at work. Let me 
show you.” 

With this, Harry went to the old bureau 
that stood in the corner and took from one of 
its drawers a number of rough drawings. 
These he spread upon the floor. After placing 
the lamp beside him in a convenient position, 
he began his explanations. 

The miller was pleasantly surprised as he 
recognized in the drawings rough draughts of 
the old mill at the Falls, with the steep road 
by which it was approached from the valley 
below. One of them was of the great wheel, 
as it stood always ready to do its appointed 
work. 

Mr. Conner was pleased because all this 
showed a real interest in himself and his 


184 


HARRY AMBLER 


troubles, even if the boy’s plan should not 
turn out to be of much practical value. We 
all feel kindly towards those who show their 
earnest desire for our welfare. 

His surprise was increased when he found 
that the draughts, rough as they were, had 
been constructed upon a fairly accurate scale, 
and showed the various distances, angles, and 
grades of the mill road. 

Harry seated himself upon the floor that he 
might the more readily point out the different 
features of his plan. Carrol was seated on the 
bed, with his arm resting carelessly along the 
foot-board. He was paying careful attention 
to his friend’s explanation, although it was of 
course no longer new to him. As Mr. Con- 
ner began to understand Harry’s plan, his 
surprise turned to hope, and his hope to con- 
fidence. 

He leaned forward in his chair, the more 
certainly to catch every word, while his gaze 
was steadily fixed on the papers before him. 
His elbows rested upon his knees, and his 
right hand was clasped over his left fist. 

The light which fell upon the three earnest 
faces was softened by the delicate lamp- 
shade, but its full glare fell upon the 


SAVING THE MILE 


185 

papers spread upon the floor. From time to 
time the boy would look into the man’s face 
to make sure that he was being understood. 

Altogether the group was an interesting 
one. A stranger might easily have imagined 
that he was looking in upon some secret con- 
ference over matters of vastly more importance 
than the crude inventions of a school-boy. 
Yet, the whole thing was simple enough, 
only — the miller had never thought of it. 

Probably an hour had passed when Harry, 
having said all that he had to say, commenced 
to slowly gather up his draughts. He awaited 
the decision of Mr. Conner in silence. 

“ Why, lad, you’ve saved the old mill !” 

He was evidently under a good deal of emo- 
tion, and Carrol, feeling that the situation was 
too serious to be comfortable, made a prompt 
effort to restore it to a business level. 

“ I believe you’re right, Mr. Conner. I’ve 
seen a good deal of such matters, and if that 
won’t work, I’m sure I don’t know the reason 
why. Now you’re going to want some mate- 
rial and some work to make the trial, and 
we’ve got just exactly what you’ll need at our 
shop. There’s a lot of old iron of exactly the 
right kind,* and we’ve the workmen who can 


i86 


HARRY AMBLER 


make the most of it for you. I think I can 
get you a good bargain, and I’m so much in- 
terested in the plan that I’d be glad to boss 
the work myself if I can get off.” 

The old Scotchman’s manner seemed to 
stiffen up a little as he heard these generous 
offers, and Harry noticed that he was eying 
the speaker with the same shrewd look that 
he had seen at the supper table. 

“ We’re much obliged for your kind offer, 
Mister Carrol, and we’ll be glad to talk it 
over to-morrow.” 

His response was civil enough, but it did 
not show much enthusiasm. 

Carrol, believing that the old man was still 
confused by the new outlook that had been 
presented to him so suddenly, soon said “good 
night,” and retired to his own room. 

It was now Harry’s turn to be surprised. 
When Carrol left the room, Mr. Conner arose 
and quietly opening the door, peered up and 
down the hall-way. Of course he saw no- 
body. Closing and locking the door, he care- 
fully hung his hat on the knob and adjusted 
it so that eavesdropping would be very diffi- 
cult if not entirely impossible. Harry looked 
on in surprise. 


SAVING THE MILE 187 

“ We be weel enow acquainted, lad, so that 
I know ye’ll take it all in good part.” 

“ Why, of course, I’ll be glad to hear you, 
Mr. Conner; what is it?” 

“ Weel, it’s only this. We’ll have to be 
pretty wide-awake if we deal with your friend 
Carrol. I’ve made that out clear enow.” 

“ Why, what on earth makes you suspect 
Carrol ? He’s hardly said a word, and I be- 
lieve he’s perfectly honest in every direction.” 

“ Oh, I’m 11a saying that he’d take anything 
that is not his own, but he’s very deep, lad, 
I’m sure of that.” 

“ Well, what particular thing did you see 
about Carrol to-night ?” 

“ Didn’t you mind the offer he made about 
the old iron and the work ?” 

“ Certainly, and he had told me the same 
thing before.” 

“And ye did na see through it ?” asked the 
other in a tone that irritated Harry a little. 

“ No, I don’t see anything wrong about 
that. What possible selfish motive could he 
have in trying to get the iron for you at a 
low price ?” 

“ I see how it looks to you, lad, but there’s 
always a reason for every action. You’ll learn 


i88 


HARRY AMBLER 


to bear that in mind as your hair gets gray. 
Now I’m just as sure as I am that I’m sitting 
here that Carrol really owns the shop himself, 
and he sees a good chance to sell a lot of his 
old iron for a profit. It’s like that I’m more 
used to the tricks of trading than yerself, but 
you beat me all hollow on invention,” added 
Mr. Conner, not to seem ungenerous in his 
greater experience. 

The suggestion that Carrol, who was really 
but little more than an apprentice, was the 
secret owner of the great locomotive works 
almost raised Harry out of his chair with 
surprise and amusement. 

“ It’s na wonder you’re surprised, lad, for 
young folk are apt to take things very much 
as they look on the top, which aint always 
the surest way. Why, if you’d only noticed, 
the very moment you had explained your new 
idea, and when I was bound to be the most 
pleased and excited, the young fellow brings 
forward his offer of just what I needed to 
make everything all right. Why, if I had 
taken to it as I naturally felt inclined to do, 
he’d hav’ made a bargain with me on the spot, 
and then, when I came to look into it to-mor- 
row, it would be too late.” 


SAVING THE MILL 


189 

u Well, at any rate you will go around and 
see what Carrol was talking about, won’t 
you ?” 

“ Yes, after we’ve been to some of the other 
shops and got a good idea of the real value of 
things. I don’t know of any reason for not 
dealing with him as well as another, even if 
he does own the shop himself, if his prices 
should be fair. Only, Harry, always look out 
for people who offer to do you big favors.” 

Harry assented to this valuable piece of 
wisdom and remained silent. 

The fact was that Mr. Conner had made up 
his mind before leaving home that in one 
sense he was about to venture into an enemy’s 
country. He came, expecting to have certain 
business transactions to attend to, and he was 
fully determined that the shrewd inhabitants 
of the city should not find him an easy victim 
to their arts. He realized that the greatest 
danger would come from strangers whose only 
visible purpose was to do him some important 
favor, and he had armed himself very 
thoroughly against this particular class. 

Now it is often the case that when we get 
to looking too intently for danger from one 
direction it approaches from the other side 


HARRY AMBLER 


igo 

and finds us unprepared. It might have 
easily been so with our honest friend, but, of 
course, he could not realize this fact. 

It had been Carrol’s, fortune to get exactly 
in the line of Mr. Conner’s aim. He had 
offered what seemed to be a very great favor 
without any reason that seemed sufficient to 
the miller. The latter recognized him at 
once as the very game for which he was on 
the lookout, and at once j umped to the singu- 
lar conclusion which he had announced to 
Harry. 

The next morning was spent in making 
such inquiries as Mr. Conner considered ne- 
cessary, and in the afternoon the two went to- 
gether to the locomotive works. It seems that 
he had expected to find Carrol with a leather 
apron on and at work in a shop with possibly 
a dozen other workmen. 

His bewilderment may easily be imagined 
as he entered the works, which covered acres 
of ground. All of the shops that he had ever 
seen could have been brought together in one 
of these buildings. Hundreds of workmen 
were in sight, and he knew by the din that 
thousands must be employed in other parts of 
the works. 


SAVING THE MILL 


I 9 I 

Immense bars of red-hot iron were being 
drawn from the furnaces and placed beneath 
tremendous steam-hammers, where they were 
wrought into the required dimensions. These 
giant hammers seemed as much under the 
control of the guiding workman as was his 
own arm. Mr. Conner was told that they 
could be so suddenly checked in their descent 
as to mar, without crushing, the shell of an 
egg upon the great anvil beneath. 

The miller’s face was an interesting study 
as he turned to Harry. 

44 I guess I was a little o’er quick about 
Carrol last night, and if you’d just as soon 
not mention my suspicions to him why I’d be 
glad to have the both of you take supper at 
my expense to-night.” 

Harry had a good laugh, but Carrol never 
knew exactly what it was that made the old 
Scotchman so exceedingly kind to him that 
night. He naturally supposed that it came 
from his own efforts to get him the material 
that was to be used at the mill. 

The only reference which Mr. Conner made 
to the mistake was when he caught a smile on 
Harry’s face after Carrol had gone. 

44 Weel, yo’ mon grin if yo’ will, but it’s 


192 


HARRY AMBLER 


better, after all’s said, to be a bit o’er-cautious 
than to believe in every Dick yo’ happen to 
meet. At any rate I’m sure to be safe.” 

And he really believed he was. 


CHAPTER XVI 


A GREAT BARGAIN 

A/fR. CONNER remained several days in 
the city. He found that he would not 
need one-half as much money as he had ex- 
pected to borrow when he came to Phila- 
delphia, and, what was better, the, money would 
now go towards the permanent improvement 
of the mill instead of being all expended for 
the family support. He had no difficulty in 
obtaining the small sum which he now re- 
quired. 

His suspicions as to George Carrol had 
been so effectually removed that he was now 
very glad to avail himself of that young man’s 
generous efforts on his behalf. He not only 
found the material that he needed, but had a 
very great variety from which to make his 
choice. The cost was so low that he saw 
it would be a mere waste of time to look else- 
where. Two weeks would be necessary for 
the additional work that was to be done, and 
the shipment of the whole to the Falls 
for use. 


13 


193 


194 HARRY AMBLER 

With the great load of anxiety lifted from 
his mind, and a considerable sum of money 
in his pocket, the miller became as light- 
hearted as a school-boy during vacation. He 
and Harry enjoyed a day at the Centennial 
grounds, and of the two the man was rather 
the more boyish in his expressions of wonder 
and admiration. 

On the last evening of his visit he took 
supper again with Harry and George Carrol. 
The boys soon observed that he was in un- 
usually good spirits, and they each guessed 
that he must have had some new piece of good 
fortune. If so they were confident that they 
would hear of it in due time. And so it 
proved. 

After supper, and when they were back at 
the lodging-house, it came out. 

Taking a small package from his pocket, 
Mr. Conner laid it upon the table. 

“ Lads, do either of yo’ mind there’s really 
such a thing as ‘ luck ’ — something that pulls 
and tugs you right up to a piece of good or 
bad fortune, whether you will or na ?” 

“ I guess what we call luck,” said Carrol, 
“is after all our own good or bad manage- 
ment.” 


A GREAT BARGAIN 


195 


“Weel, now,” replied the miller, “there be 
in Philadelphia to-night, I make no doubt, a 
million and a half o’ people. Can you tell 
me why, out o’ all that mony folk, I should be 
the one instead o’ yourselves or ony other?’ ’ 

This naturally worked the boy’s curiosity 
up to the top notch, and they asked to be told 
all about it. 

“Weel, it was just this way : as I’m off by 
the early train in the morning, I thought this 
afternoon that I’d be saving time by getting 
my ticket beforehand. Then, again, I thought 
that it would take just exactly the same time 
anyway and I’d let it gang till morning. So 
I gave it up. 

“ Now, what do you think, after I settled to 
let it be, and not get the ticket, the thing 
kept coming up in my mind, and pulling at 
me, till in the end I found myself walking 
right into the railroad office without hardly 
knowing it. Now, mind you, all that came 
after just turned on whether or no I went to 
buy my ticket. 

“Ony way, there I was in the line o’ people 
that was going up to the window. 

“Now came another piece of luck. Just 
after I stood in the line, a fine-looking gentle- 


igS HARRY AMBLER 

man, in a big hurry, came rushing up, and 
he steps in the line right ahead of me. I was 
just going to touch him on the shoulder and 
tell him that he belonged further back, when 
I saw he was so excited that he didn’t know 
he had taken the wrong place, and I just 
didn’t just say a word. 

“ Now, you see, if that gentleman had 
stepped into his right place in the line, or if I 
had called his mind to the mistake, why 
then I’d never — but you’ll see it all in a 
minute. 

“ The man must have looked up at the clock 
a dozen times before his turn came. 

“ ‘Two for Boston, and a section in the sleep- 
ing car, and how much is it ?’ said he, as he 
took out his pocket-book. 

“ ‘ Twenty-one fifty,’ says the man at the 
window. 

“ The gentleman opened his pocket-book, 
and then, boys, I never in all my born days saw 
such a look o’ painful astonishment as came 
over that man’s face. He’d forgotten to draw 
his money out o’ bank. 

“ ‘ My wife is in the waiting-room, our lug- 
gage is all here, and the train starts in fifteen 
minutes.’ 


A GREAT BARGAIN 197 

“ ‘ In twelve, minutes,’ spoke up the ticket 
man, correcting him. 

“ ‘I’m well acquainted with the president of 
this road, and I know he’d pass me quick 
enough if — ’ 

“ ‘ Well, I aint very well acquainted with 
him,’ interrupted the ticket-agent again, ‘but 
I know he’d bounce me too quick if I let you 
dead-head over this road.’ 

“ ‘ I don’t wish a free ticket, sir. I want to 
buy regular tickets — first-class. Can’t you 
sell them to me and trust me until we come 
hack ? It won’t be a week at the longest.’ 

“ ‘ Not this time,’ says the agent. It was 
just as clear as daylight to me that the ticket- 
agent didn’t care a cent whether the man got 
to Boston or not. He was bound to show his 
own importance, even if his road lost a cus- 
tomer by it. 

“The gentleman was very much hurt by 
what was said, but fixed the way he was, he 
couldn’t very well let go. 

“ Stepping a little nigher to the window, so’s 
a body behind him needn’t see what he was 
doing, the gentleman actually slipped off his 
gold watch and chain and pushed them at the 
ticket man. 


HARRY AMBLER 


198 

“ ‘ Here, give me the tickets, and thirty dol- 
lars change — in fives, please — and let me re- 
deem the watch next week.’ 

“ He spoke very low, so it was only by ac- 
cident that I heard him. He reached out his 
hand for the tickets and change. 

“ ‘ This aint a pawnbroker’s shop,’ said the 
agent, loud enough for everybody in the line 
to hear him. He shoved back the watch as if 
it had been a copper cent. The other man 
was so nervous as he took it back that he 
couldn’t help holding the watch so that I 
saw it. 

“ Lads, it was a beauty ! 

“ 1 What on earth shall I do?’ said the gen- 
tleman, kind o’ wild with despair. 

“ ‘ Walk,’ says the man at the window. 

“ ‘Walk to Boston?’ said the gentleman in 
astonishment. 

“ ‘ I don’t care where, so that it’s far enough 
to let the next gentleman get to the window, 
and you’d better start right off, too.’ 

“ He seemed like he was getting mad, and 
the gentleman moved off, and it was my turn. 
I paid my money and got my ticket and was 
through in ten seconds. 

“Just as I came out of the door I next to 


A GREAT BARGAIN 


'199 


run into the Boston man. He was looking 
at his watch. You see, all this happened in 
less time than it takes me to tell it, so his train 
hadn’t gone yet. 

“ ‘Just four minutes more, and I must go on 
that tram.' 

“ He happened to look up and see me. I 
suppose there mon have been something in 
my face that attracted him, for he came 
straight up to me — a perfect stranger — and 
commenced to tell me all about it as if it was 
all new to me. It seems he hadn’t seen me 
at all during all the time he was at the win- 
dow, though I don’t see exactly how he hap- 
pened to miss seeing me either. 

“ Weel, anyway, I saw he hadn’t much time 
to waste, so I told him that I knew all 
about it. 

“ ‘ Oh, that’s lucky,’ says he. ‘ Now I’ve 
just got to go on that train, and I want 
twenty-five dollars for this watch and chain. 
I don’t care to say what they cost. It really 
makes me sick to think of it, but it aint a 
question of value with me now. I must get 
money enough to go.’ 

“ Now, Harry, I’ve wanted a watch for 
mony a year, but I always ken too much to 


200 


HARRY AMBLER 


buy one of the cheap-made sort. They’re na 
good, lads, and you’ll both do weel to bide 
your time until yon can afford good ones.” 

As he spoke the miller, by way of illustra- 
tion, laid his hand upon the package on the 
table. 

“ Now it’s more than likely that if I’d 
ground him down, he’d hav’ let me hav’ it for 
the price of the tickets — twenty-one fifty — 
but I’m happier the way it is. I took the 
watch and chain and gave him three ten dollar 
bills, which was five dollars more than he 
asked. 

“ It would have done you good, lads, to have 
seen the tears that almost came into the man’s 
eyes as he shook hands wi’ me. You could 
tell that he was a true gentleman by the 
words he used. * 

“‘My pain at sacrificing my timepiece,’ 
said he, ‘ is entirely overcome by the pleasure 
of knowing that it is in the service of a real 
gentleman — one who would not take advantage 
of another’s temporary necessities.’ 

“And he meant it, too. I could see by his 
face that whatever pain it caused him at first 
was all gone. He was contented with the 
bargain. 


A GREAT BARGAIN 


201 


“ The next minute he left me, and, would 
you believe it, he was in such a hurry that 
he forgot to go for his tickets after all. I 
reckon he paid on the train, and if the ticket- 
agent had to pay out of his own pocket for 
the two tickets he marked, why it served him 
right. 

“ You see, boys, it pays to be polite and 
lend a helping hand. I don’t advise it just 
because it pays, but it does pay, for there’s 
the watch.” 

He untied the package and laid the glitter- 
ing watch and chain in the full light of the 
lamp. 

The boys looked at the watch and then cast 
hasty glances at each other. Harry was 
troubled by a slight twitching at the corners 
of his mouth, while Carrol had a violent 
attack of coughing which compelled him to 
turn his back on Mr. Conner. 

They each recalled an evening, not long 
before, when they had spent a few moments 
in a cheap John auction store on Eighth 
Street witnessing a sale of showy jewelry. 

The present delight of Mr. Conner over his 
bargain was not greater than the pleasure of 
the auctioneer on that occasion when, after 


202 


HARRY AMBLER 


having exercised his greatest powers of per- 
suasion, he sold a watch and chain of the 
exact pattern and quality of Mr. Conner’s for 
two dollars and fifty cents. 


CHAPTER XVII 


harry’s invention 

~Y\ T'E may here say, once for all, that Mr. 

' ’ Conner’s new watch never figured very 
much in history. Harry never saw it again 
after Mr. Conner’s return to the mill, nor did 
the miller find it necessary to refer to it in 
their conversations at any future time. From 
Nellie, Harry learned that for some weeks it 
was the pride of its owner, and seemed to 
possess all possible virtues — except that of 
keeping time. 

For the purpose of securing for it even this 
accomplishment, the miller took the watch to 
the jeweler at Mountville. This visit must 
have resulted in shedding some new light 
upon the character and quality of the time- 
piece. Shortly afterwards it became the prop- 
erty of the colored man, Pete, in exchange for 
two days of service in assisting Mr. Conner 
at road-grading. 

During the two weeks 4 immediately follow- 

203 


204 


HARRY AMBLER 


iug his return from Philadelphia, Mr. Conner 
was cheerful, but mysterious. His business 
had been steadily falling olf, and he knew it. 
Yet he was observed to smile, as he stood in 
the mill door and gazed down along the steep 
road-way' which he had so often predicted 
would yet ruin his business. 

Indeed, since his return from Philadelphia, 
he had devoted all of his spare time to this 
very object. Stones had been removed, and 
the road-bed smoothed by cutting down a 
hillock here and filling up a hollow there. 
Now it looked so straight and smooth that 
one would have imagined that it was intended 
for some out-door game rather than for a pub- 
lic highway. 

His action had been the cause of much sur- 
prise and some amusement among the farm- 
ers who noticed his work. Many of them 
told him that he was worse than wasting time ; 
that the road was smooth enough before, and 
that his present work made it still harder to 
climb. 

He laughed pleasantly and told them each 
to bring a load of wheat on a day that he 
named, when he promised to show them how 
to get it up the grade without putting whip 


HARRY’S INVENTION 


205 


to their horses. Then they began to suspect 
that he had something in view at which they 
could only guess, and their curiosity was 
aroused. 

His offer was passed from one farmer to 
another until it became evident that he 
would have a pretty large gathering of people, 
if nothing else, upon that day. And the time 
was now only three days off. 

The miller was casting an interested look 
up along the road toward Mountville. Pres- 
ently he was rewarded by catching sight of 
two large wagons. 

They came slowly along until they reached 
the Falls. Yes, that was the place. 

Mr. Conner shook hands with Carrol much 
as if he had brought a rescuing party to a be- 
sieged town. A half-dozen workmen were 
with the wagons and they set to work at once. 

The old mill had not witnessed such a scene 
of bustle and noise since its own wheel had 
first been set in motion. Hatchets and saws, 
and picks and shovels, and spikes and sledge- 
hammers were seen and heard on every band. 

All that day and the next the work went 
forward, and it was the morning of the third 
day when the wagons and laborers returned 


2d6 


HARRY AMBLER 


to the station. Everything was ready and 
had been thoroughly tested. It worked like 
a charm. 

When the first farmer drove rip to the foot 
of the Falls grade a singular sight met his 
gaze. At the bottom of the grade stood an 
open car about the size of a wagon. It was 
upon a neat iron track that extended up the 
smooth road-bed to the very door of the mill. 

To this car was attached a large rope or 
cable which also extended up the grade and 
was fastened to a great wooden roller at the 
top. The cable was resting loosely along the 
road between the rails. 

When the farmer had transferred his wheat 
to the car, Mr. Conner, who was above, pushed 
a large lever by means of which, a great belt 
was at once brought in contact with the roller. 
The belt was then set in motion by some 
power which was not visible to the farmers 
below. 

Instantly the great roller commenced to 
turn and wind up the cable. The latter tight- 
ened at once, and the loaded car started up 
the grade as if it had been upon a level floor. 

In as many seconds as it had formerly re- 
quired minutes the load of wheat was stand- 


harry’s invention 207 

ing at the mill door, and, as the miller had 
promised, the whip had not been used. 

Other farmers kept arriving until there was 
grist enough in the mill to keep it running 
steadily for three weeks at least. 

Of course that part of the railroad that was 
in sight was easily understood, but the people 
at the foot of the track were in entire igno- 
rance as to the power that moved the great 
belt. No horse could have done it, and a 
steam engine would have been too expensive. 

At last the farmers themselves entered the 
car and were whisked - up the grade at a rate 
that took away their breath. Mr. Conner re- 
ceived them cordially at the door and they 
soon understood the secret of the belt and 
roller. 

The other end of the belt was passed 
around an iron extension, in the shape of a 
cylinder, that had been built or fastened on to 
the axle of the great water-wheel. The mo- 
tion of the wheel moved the belt and, through 
the roller and cable, communicated the motion 
to the car. The wheel itself performed this 
additional labor without seeming to at all 
lessen its speed. So the miller had the motive 
power, which is generally the great item of 


208 


HARRY AMBLER 


continuing expense in such undertakings, 
already furnished and ready at hand. 

The farmers were greatly delighted at the 
new and most convenient arrangement. They 
could now drive up to the car, as it stood at 
the foot of the grade, unload their grain, and 
drive off without the slightest concern over 
the steepness of the grade. 

The mill was not only restored to its former 
favor, but the singular invention served as an 
advertisement, and made the place known to 
many new customers. The farmers brought 
their wives and children to enjoy the novelty 
of the railway ride, much as they might have 
done if Mr. Conner had established a set of 
flying horses. 

He was careful to give the credit of the plan 
to the one who deserved it. Harry would 
have been pleased at the many words of praise 
which were bestowed upon him by the neigh- 
bors. It would have given him still greater 
pleasure to have heard the miller again ac- 
knowledge that the boy’s plan had saved the 
mill from going down before the competition 
of its rival. 

The letter containing the account of the 
opening day gave Harry and George Carrol 


HARRY’S INVENTION 209 

one of the pleasantest evenings that they had 
ever enjoyed. 

There was, however, one person to whom 
the new fangled railroad brought surprise 
without pleasure. Jeremiah Tull predicted 
some wholesale disaster as the result of the 
rash experiment. 

“ That ’are’s pretty enough, but ’taint safe. 
That rope’s bound to break one o’ these days, 
and that car ’ll come coplunk down the track 
an’ kill a team o’ horses deader ’an a door 
nail. You jest remember what it is I’m tellin’ 
you.” 

His hearers remembered what he told them, 
but as the dreadful result which he had pre- 
dicted never come to pass, he added nothing 
to his reputation as a prophet. 

The nearest approach to an accident was 
when upon going out one morning Mr. Con- 
ner found that somebody, had greased the 
track with lard. He was not surprised when 
an hour or two later Ned Tull came driving 
by. He stopped to watch the car make its 
trip, and then turned away with a puzzled air. 

“Why, I put grease enough on that there 
track to have stopped that car even if it 
was bein’ pulled on a level road by a full 


210 


HARRY AMBRER 


grown locomotive, and now there it goes up a 
steep grade just as if there was nothing the 
matter.” 

The elder Tull was just now so deep in 
politics that he was unable to give that atten- 
tion to the milling business that he intended 
to do in the near future. His first thought 
was to pay no attention to the new move on 
the part of his rival, until his own hands 
were less occupied. Circumstances, as we 
shall see, soon compelled him to take a dif- 
ferent course in this respect. 

His empty watch pocket continued to be a 
source of unpleasant reflection. He wondered 
from time to time whether the lucky person, 
with the name to fit the initials, had yet made 
his purchase. 

All of the reflections were, however, con- 
siderably sweetened by the fact that he had 
received the nomination of his party for the 
legislature. The battle was now between him- 
self and Mr. Lovell, the candidate of the 
opposite party. Everything seemed to point 
to his election, and the utmost enthusiasm 
prevailed. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


THE MAGIC BAG 

"\T7"E are sorry to say that while Harry 
’ ’ had been able to do so much for Mr. 
Conner, he did not seem to be accomplish- 
ing very much for himself. He was cer- 
tainly not very rapidly acquiring that inde- 
pendence for either himself or family, that 
had been his hope and object. 

Up to about the time of Mr. Conner’s visit 
to Philadelphia, our hero had been able to 
support himself and occasionally to send 
small sums of money home. At last, how- 
ever, he found that he was not doing so well. 
He could hardly tell how it was, but he seemed 
to realize that he was not as good a salesman 
as he had been when he had first entered 
upon his new vocation. 

He felt that while they were all so poor, 
it was the right thing for him to do, yet 
he most heartily wished for some steady oc- 
cupation. He began to see how the rudeness 

2 1 1 


212 


HARRY AMBLER 


and contempt with which he, and others like 
him, were treated, would at length break down 
the self-respect of those who had to endure it. 

For this reason he had almost uncon- 
sciously come to devote his greatest efforts 
towards securing employment, and was there- 
fore less persistent in offering his wares for 
sale. The consequence was perfectly natural. 
He did secure one or two short employments, 
but he sold fewer shades and had less money 
at the end of the week. 

Unfortunately the boy himself could not 
see exactly what caused his greater want of 
success, and so was unable to remedy it. He 
began to be discouraged. His feeling now 
was not the same which he had experienced 
at the end of his first day’s work, but it was 
probably more injurious. 

The more violent disappointment was sure 
to pass away, but the slow acknowledgment 
of weakness and defeat would leave him less 
able to meet the battles that must be fought 
in the future. 

For the two weeks just before the day of 
which we are about to speak, Harry had not 
earned enough money, aside from the cost of 
his meals, to pay his room-rent. The kind- 


THE MAGIC BAG 313 

ness of Carrol had, however, prevented his 
situation from becoming desperate. 

His letters home had been as cheerful as he 
could truthfully make them under the cir- 
cumstances, but they were not very enthusi- 
astic. It must not be imagined from all this 
that Harry Ambler had any thought of fold- 
ing his hands in despair and giving up hope. 
O11 the contrary, his efforts w^ere greater now 
than ever before, only he could not help 
knowing that the results were not so good. 

It was early in the afternoon of a bright, 
crisp October day. Our hero was walking 
along Chestnut Street, and entering such 
stores as from their appearance suggested 
the possibility of his either making a sale, or 
securing a place to work. A handsome jewelry 
establishment attracted his attention. Should 
he try it ? Yes, he had nothing to lose, and 
might possibly gain. 

He approached the door, which, somewhat 
to his surprise, was held wide open for him by 
the door boy. It would have been more in 
accordance with his past experience had that 
official seized the knob and braced himself to 
keep the door closed. 

The next moment convinced Harry that the 


214 


HARRY AMBLER 


door boy bad merely been the victim of cir- 
cumstances. He had in fact opened the door 
for an elderly gentleman who had just 
alighted from a carriage and was crossing the 
pavement at the moment our hero had decided 
to enter the store. 

Harry had entered before he fully under- 
stood the situation. Knowing very well that 
he would receive but slight attention while a 
wealthy customer was kept waiting, he man- 
aged to delay his own application until the 
new-comer had been served. 

Seating himself upon one of the cushioned 
stools, he rested and took a survey of the 
elegant store. His attention was very soon 
drawn to the new customer, who had ap- 
proached the counter, upon which stood a case 
containing the precious stones. He was not 
more than ten feet from Harry. 

His dress was plain but of fine quality. 
He was of medium height and about sixty 
years of age, with hair and whiskers well 
sprinkled with gray. He carried a brown 
cloth bag in his hand, such as Harry had seen 
carried by many Philadelphians for conve- 
nience in making purchases. 

The whole of the conversation that ensued 


THE MAGIC BAG 


215 


was necessarily overheard by the boy, who 
was soon deeply interested in it. He had 
never before heard such large prices men- 
tioned with such slight concern by either cus- 
tomer or merchant. 

“ Will you kindly show me some of your 
best Brazilian diamonds ?” 

“ Diamonds, sir ? Certainly,” and the sales- 
man placed one of the trays before the cus- 
tomer who had now seated himself and laid 
aside the bag. When the diamonds were 
placed on the counter he drew off his right 
glove and, producing a magnifying glass from 
his vest pocket, he began to examine the 
stones. 

There were not more than a dozen of them 
in all, and he picked each one of them up in 
turn, and after a moment’s examination 
through the glass he returned them to the 
tray. 

“ Please show me some more. There is not 
one Brazilian stone in that whole lot.” 

The salesman removed the first tray and 
replaced it by another, and the old gentleman 
continued his examination. He was appa- 
rently more successful now, as he occasionally 
laid aside one of the stones. 


2l6 


HARRY AMBRER 


“Aren’t all tlie diamonds that are in the mar- 
ket taker. Zom the Brazilian mines ?” asked 
the clerk, evidently impressed by the knowl- 
edge exhibited by the customer. 

“ Oh, no, no,” said the other, looking up in 
good-natured surprise. “ The Griqualand 
mines in South Africa are flooding the market 
with inferior stones, and it looks as if your 
firm had taken its full share of them. Here 
are some real Brazilians though that will do 
very nicely. They are for my daughter’s 
wedding present.” 

The old gentleman pointed out the fi\ t; 
stones which he had selected and returned his 
magnifying glass to his pocket. 

The clerk carefully replaced the tray and 
proceeded to put the selected stones in a small 
box, such as was generally used for that pur- 
pose. 

“ Oh, by the way,” exclaimed the gentle- 
man suddenly, just as the other was putting 
the lid on the box in which he had already 
placed the diamonds. The clerk stopped his 
work. 

“ Well, I guess it’s no matter after all,” 
said the customer, rather hesitatingly. “ If I 
had thought of it befo r e you had gone to the 


THE MAGIC BAG 


217 


trouble of getting your box, I would have had 
you put the stones into this casket. It was 
made for them, but it’s not worth while to 
change them now.” 

While he was speaking he drew from his 
bag a very handsome little jewel-box of unique 
design. Opening this he displayed its beau- 
tiful cushioned lining of black velvet. In 
this cushion were worked various places for 
arranging the stones, either together in a 
cluster or widely separated, so that each stone 
stood out alone. 

The case was really a most handsome piece 
of workmanship, and even without its in- 
tended contents, would have made an elegant 
gift. The salesman stood admiring it, still 
holding the ordinary store box in his hand. 
One or two other clerks who were near at 
hand joined in the group as spectators. 

“ See here,” said the purchaser, who was 
evidently proud of the beautiful toy. As he 
spoke he lifted the black velvet cushion from 
the casket and exhibited another just beneath 
it of similar arrangement, but of a dark-green 
color. There were no less than four of these 
movable cushions, and by placing the differ- 
ent colors on top as was desired very different 
effects could be produced. 


2x8 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Why, that case must have cost something 
of itself,” remarked one of the clerks. 

“ Yes, I’ve no doubt the bill when it comes 
in will show three pretty good-sized figures 
for the dollars. The box wasn’t made by a 
carpenter.” 

As he spoke the gentleman extended his 
hand for the case, intending to return it to its 
place. 

“ Oh, we might just as well put the stones 
in it now that it’s open,” replied the clerk, 
suiting his action to the word. 

“Just as you choose,” replied the pur- 
chaser. “ They do look well, don’t they ?” he 
added as the clerks took a final glance at the 
precious merchandise. 

“Now, sir, the price?” and he raised his 
hand to his pocket. 

“Two of them are fifteen hundred, and the 
other three are each twelve hundred dollars 
apiece — six thousand six hundred dollars,” 
replied the clerk, as he penciled the figures 
upon a piece of paper on the counter. 

The gentleman thrust his haud into his 
coat pocket, but immediately withdrew it with 
a look of great annoyance. He examined 
the pocket on the other side of his coat. The 
object of his search was not there. 


THE MAGIC BAG 


219 


“ I believe I’m in my dotage,” exclaimed 
he, with considerable irritation. “ That’s the 
second time within the last three months that 
I’ve performed that wonderful piece of stu- 
pidity. My pocket-book, with just exactly 
twenty-three five-hundred dollar notes, is now 
lying exposed upon the bureau of room num- 
ber fifty-four at the Continental Hotel — 
unless,” he added, hastily starting to his feet, 
“ unless some dishonest person has already 
taken it.” 

Harry and the salesman were each wide- 
awake for what was to come next. A glance 
at the pale countenance of the clerk showed 
that neither the profound remarks upon the 
subject of diamonds, nor the interesting exhi- 
bition of the wonderful jewel case had made 
him forget his duty. 

He disliked the possibility of offending a 
customer, but he was prepared to emphatically 
decline any request to permit the diamonds to 
leave the store before payment was made. 
The request, however, did not come. 

As he arose the gentleman opened the bag, 
and, taking out the casket, placed it on the 
counter. 

“ Put those to one side for fifteen minutes. 


220 


HARRY AMBLER 


I will be back in ten, if my hackman’s team 
is what he represents it to be. Don’t let 
everybody handle that box.” 

The clerk nodded, and, turning with a sigh 
of relief, he placed the treasure in a safe re- 
ceptacle to await the purchaser’s return. 

“ I’m just as weak as a cat,” he exclaimed, 
to a brother clerk, as he dropped into a chair 
behind the counter. 

“What about ?” 

“ Why, that old gentleman commenced 
what seemed to me to be the regular old story 
of 1 left my pocket-book at the hotel,’ and while 
I was waiting for him to suggest that we ‘just 
send a cash-boy along with him to bring back 
the money,’ I believe I lost ten pounds in 
weight from anxiety. Now I’m going to 
rest.” 

But in this he was mistaken, for Harry was 
standing at the counter, and had already 
addressed him twice without attracting his 
attention. 

Of course, the boy had been an interested 
spectator of it all, Here was a transaction, 
occupying, perhaps, twenty minutes from be- 
ginning to end, in which the price paid would 
have bought two farms, and the property pur- 


THE MAGIC BAG 


221 


cliased could all have been concealed in a 
good-sized thimble. 

No wonder the gaze of the country lad was 
riveted upon the handsome box as it was 
placed in the bag. Without consciously 
noting the fact his attention had even followed 
the well-defined form of the box as it was care- 
fully thrust into its particular corner. He 
would have had no more doubt as to exactly 
where it was than as if there was nothing to 
conceal it from his sight. 

Now when the gentleman had returned the 
box to the clerk, the boy had experienced two 
most contradictory sensations. There was the 
elegant casket in plain sight upon the counter, 
and yet there, almost as clear to his vision, 
was the casket in the corner of the well-filled 
bag. 

It had 7io t been disturbed. 

For some seconds Harry remained unde- 
cided what he ought to do. He looked after 
the retreating form, as the old gentleman has- 
tened through the door and entered his car- 
riage. As his walk increased in speed, almost 
to a run, a slight, but a very peculiar, limp 
was visible. 

Our hero’s reflections were brief, and the 


222 


HARRY AMBLER 


man liad not yet passed the door, when Harry 
first tried to attract the attention of the sales- 
man. 

“Well, what is it?” asked the latter, im- 
patiently. 

“ I believe that man has taken the dia- 
monds with him.” 

“ You believe what ?” 

“ That your customer changed boxes and 
took the one with the diamonds with him.” 

“ You’re an idiot !” replied the clerk, briefly, 
but to the point. 

“ One of us certainly is,” responded Harry, 
naturally resenting the language. “ We’ll 
soon see which one.” 

“ What’s the matter, Mr. Harkins ?” asked 
a middle-aged gentleman who had j ust entered 
the store. His manner indicated authority on 
the premises. 

“ Why this boy insists that on old gentle- 
man who j ust went out, took with him a set of 
diamonds which I happen to have locked up 
in the safe.” 

Mr. Shores, who proved to be one of the 
partners in the establishment, turned inquir- 
ingly to Harry. As rapidly as possible the 
latter gave the reasons for his suspicion. 


THE MAGIC BAG 


223 


“ Let me see the box, Mr. Harkins.” 

The clerk handed it to him, at the same 
time casting a rather savage glance at Harry 
for his intermeddling. 

Mr. Shores examined the box with care and 
finally gave it a shake, at the same time lis- 
tening to the sound. 

“ I’m afraid of that. Mr. Harkins get me 
a chisel.” 

“ Mr. Shores, that box is very valuable. 
The inside arrangement is the most elegant 
that I ever saw.”. 

“Then I’ll just take a look at it myself. 
Please get the chisel.” 

Without further delay the chisel was pro- 
cured, and Mr. Shores himself assumed the 
responsibility of using it. The lock resisted 
strongly, but it was only a question of a 
little more force, when it gave way and ex- 
hibited the contents of the box. 

It contained cotton principally, but deposited 
in this, were six good-sized glass beads. 


CHAPTER XIX 


better days 



'HE excitement following the discovery of 


the contents of the casket may be easily 
imagined. Mr. Harkins rushed frantically to 
the door and gazed wildly down the street. If 
he had any definite idea in his head, it was 
that the late customer might by this time 
have discovered his mistake and be returning 
to correct it. We need hardly say that he 
was disappointed in this hope. 

Mr. Shores, however, seemed to be rather 
more self-possessed than before the discovery. 

“ Gentlemen, please return to your counters. 
Mr. Harkins, and you, young man,” addressing 
Harry, “just step this way with me.” 

They followed him into his private office 
and accepted the chairs to which he motioned 
them. Seating himself at his desk, he pro- 
ceeded at once to business. 

“ Mr. Harkins, please give me a description 
of the man who bought the diamonds.” 


2'24 


better days 


225 


The excited salesman gave such informa- 
tion as to height, weight, complexion, color of 
hair, and style of dress as he could recall. 
Mr. Shores made careful notes of the descrip- 
tion and then dismissed the clerk to his 
counter. He then turned to our hero. 

“ Now, Mr. by what name shall I call 

you?” 

“ My name is Henry Ambler, sir.” 

“ Will you kindly give me your address ?” 

Harry complied with this request, Mr. 
Shores at the same time making notes of his 
information j ust as he had with Mr. Harkins. 

“ Now, Mr. Ambler, you heard what Mr. 
Harkins said. Can you add anything more 
or make any corrections to his description ?” 

“ I am inclined to think that he is mistaken 
as to the man’s weight and size. I feel cer- 
tain that he had on an extra garment or two 
to give him an appearance of portliness.” 

“ Very likely, indeed. Anything more?” 

“ Yes, there was one thing more. As the 
man was going out he walked much more 
rapidly than when he entered the store, in 
fact, he almost ran in his haste to get back to 
the hotel. I noticed that his left knee gave 
way beneath his weight while he was in such 

15 


226 


HARRY AMBLER 


haste. It was not what we would generally 
call a limp, but I don’t know any better name 
for it. Ordinarily his step was perfectly 
firm.” 

“ That was very singular,” remarked Mr. 
Shores, as he' noted it down. 

“ How about his language. Did it seem 
natural to you ?” 

“ Oh, yes. He did not talk like a man of 
very great education, on the one hand, and he 
is certainly not a very ignorant one, on the 
other. He spoke rapidly enough to show that 
he was not repeating anything that he had 
just learned for the occasion.” 

Just then the conversation was interrupted 
by one of the store porters. He had been 
sent by Mr. Shores to the Continental Hotel 
to learn whether or not such a person as their 
late customer occupied room No. 54. He re- 
turned with the not very surprising informa- 
tion that the man’s statement was false. 

Mr. Shores now sent the porter to the police 
headquarters, with a brief statement of the 
facts, and the items of description which he 
had just obtained from Harkins and Harry. 
This being done he turned again to the latter. 

“ Now, Mr. Ambler, what is your business?” 


BETTER DAYS 227 

This brought Harry with a round turn back 
to his own affairs. 

“I’m selling fancy lamp-shades,” he replied, 
bringing his wares into view. He did this 
with such an air of business that a smile 
overspread his companion’s face. 

“ I don’t believe we need any just now. 
We are not dazzled by the glare of diamonds 
as much now as we were a short time back.” 

As he made this remark, Mr. Shores smiled 
again. Having done all that he could towards 
the recovery of the stolen property he was not 
going to let the loss make him sour in the 
meantime. 

“How would it suit you to stay with us for 
awhile ?” he said, resuming the air of business. 
“ You know more about the man than any 
one else, and we may need to consult you at 
a moment’s notice. During the Centennial 
Exhibition, which will last nearly a month 
yet, we can find something for you to do, and 
in the end you will be at least as well off as 
you are now.” 

“What will you pay?” asked Harry, with a 
respectful directness that seemed to rather 
please Mr. Shores. 

“Well, say ten dollars a week. But you 
will really have to work for it.” 


228 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ That suits me, sir. I really want to work 
for it.” 

“ Now, it is probable that you will have to 
spend some time with the detective officer 
who may be put on this case. I will not 
assign you any regular work in the store, but 
you may be called upon from time to time to 
do anything from carrying bundles to help- 
ing wait upon customers.” 

“ This is queer,” thought the boy, when he 
was alone. “ For months I have tried to get 
work upon any terms, and could hardly get 
any one to listen to me. Now, by an acci- 
dent, I have a good place almost forced upon 
me. There does seem to be a good deal more 
of luck than merit in this kind of thing.” 

Afterwards, however, he saw that his first 
view was not correct. His candid and intelli- 
gent manner had more to do with his actual 
employment by Mr. Shores than had the acci- 
dent of his presence at the robbery. 

My young readers can readily see that if 
the jeweler had found Harry a stupid boy, 
or had seen reason to doubt his honesty, he 
would have taken a very different course. 

In the one case, he would have been satis- 
fied to take his address, that he might find 


BETTER DAYS 


229 


him when wanted, and in the other, he would 
have handed him over to the police authorities 
to be held as a witness or to await further de- 
velopments. His accidental presence would 
then have proven more of an injury than a 
gain. 

If, therefore, we are tempted to be careless 
or discouraged because we think that “ luck ” 
instead of “ merit ” controls results, let us 
realize the mistake, and consequently renew 
our efforts. Chance does seem to have much 
to do with bringing us face to face with oppor- 
tunities, but the opportunities themselves are 
only valuable if we have made ourselves 
ready to improve them. 

Harry’s home letter that night was by far 
the most cheerful since liis arrival in Phila- 
delphia, and by the end of the week he was 
able to send a small sum of money to his 
mother, as well as to repay Carrol’s friendly 
loan. The sun seemed to be shining for 
awhile at any rate. 

As Mr. Shores had suggested, Harry had 
to be a good deal of the time at the service of 
the detective officer who had been detailed to 
work up the robbery case. O11 several occa- 
sions he was sent to distant parts of the city 


230 


HARRY AMBLER 


to obtain a view of this or that suspected indi- 
vidual, but all to no purpose. 

In the meantime our hero found his posi- 
tion at the store a very pleasant one. He was 
kept busy during business hours, but he was 
by no means an indolent boy, and the hours 
of labor were not excessively long. Matters 
were a little strained at first between Mr. 
Harkins and himself, by reason of their little 
interchange of courtesies on the day of the 
robbery. 

Harkins soon saw that there was no effort 
upon Harry’s part to rejoice in the turn affairs 
had taken, and he had the 'grace to apologize 
for his own severe language. As we already 
know, the boy was much too sensible to bear 
spite for a hasty speech. 

At the suggestion of George Carrol, the 
lamp-shade industry was not entirely aban- 
doned. A boy who had worked with Carrol 
in the locomotive works had met with an 
injury that would prevent him from under- 
taking hard labor for some time to come. He 
was greatly in need of some means of earning 
a livelihood, and Harry turned the business 
over to him, reserving a small share of the 
profits to be sent to Nellie. 


BETTER DAYS 


231 


The temporary comfort which he now ex- 
perienced gave Harry leisure to turn his 
thoughts once more towards Jock, the run- 
away. It must be admitted that time and 
reflection had cooled his enthusiasm upon this 
subject, yet he determined to do his best to 
find the boy. While he realized the great 
improbability of Jock’s having kept so large 
a sum of money through the varying fortunes 
of all these months, he nevertheless felt a 
keen desire to know what had actually become 
of it. 

He had but one piece of information from 
which to start with his investigations — the 
postal card obtained from the old colored 
woman. Who was “ Lieutenant Murray of 
the 5th Division ”? 

Harry learned the location of every mili- 
tary post or organization in or near the city. 
His duties as messenger took him in the 
neighborhood of most of them, and he made 
careful and persistent inquiries for the object 
of his search. He could not even learn what 
or where the 5th Division was. 

He went further, and devoted much of his 
time after working hours to visiting and talk- 
ing with all the “ Murrays” who were in any 
way connected with the military service. It 


232 


HARRY AMBLER 


was all in vain, and lie made up liis mind that 
the signature was not the writer’s real name, 
but the result of a mere fancy that had taken 
him on the moment. 

His letters from home were generally cheer- 
ful, yet there was one item that rendered him 
a little uneasy. It appeared that Mr. Tull, 
after being baffled in his first efforts to break 
down the business of the Falls mill, had de- 
termined upon another and probably more 
serious move. 

Mrs. Ambler’s letter said that Tull was 
about to supply his new mill with the best of 
modern machinery. His purpose was, of 
course, to make a better quality of flour than 
was possible at the old mill, and so to with- 
draw Mr. Conner’s customers. The old Scotch- 
man was not able to purchase such machinery 
as would be necessary to meet this competi- 
tion in the quality of flour, and was of course 
disturbed at the prospect. 

One consolation, however, was the fact that 
this would not result in any such sudden loss 
of custom as followed the first opening of the 
new mill. It might take months, and perhaps 
years, to make the advantages of Mr. Tull’s 
mill clear to the farmers, and — who can tell 
what a month may bring forth ? 


CHAPTER XX 


A CLEW AT LAST 


S we have already said, Harry felt that 



while he had steady employment was 
his best time for making an effort to find 
Jock. Yet he was at a loss as to what to do 
next. In addition to his visits to the various 
military headquarters, and his interviews with 
all the “ Murrays,” in or about the military 
service, he had paid particular attention to 
every colored boy of the suspicious age whom 
he had met on the street. 

He had devoted much of his spare time to 
frequenting South Street and other parts of 
the city which were largely inhabited by the 
colored people. It was all in vain. 

One evening he was in Carrol’s room, and 
they were talking about this particular matter. 

“Why don’t you try blood-hounds?” asked 
Carrol, jokingly. 

“Well, the trail is a little cold by this time, 
and besides that isn’t as much in style as it 
used to be.” 


233 


234 HARRY AMBLER 

“ Perhaps you’re right, but I haven’t any 
better suggestion to make just now. Oh, 
didn’t you say that you had some of the boy’s 
writing ?” 

“ No, the boy himself couldn’t write, but I 
have that postal card which somebody else 
wrote for him. Didn’t I ever show you that ?” 

“ No. Let’s see it.” 

Harry went to his own room and returned 
with the postal card, which was now begining 
to show the marks of age. He gave an account 
of his negotiations with Harm. 

The boys re-read the brief message, but its 
repetition brought out no new meaning. 

“ Lieutenant Murray of the 5th Division is 
a fraud, and I’d like to have the chance to tell 
him so. Why, there aint any 5th Division 
in Philadelphia.” 

“ I guess you’re right. Probably somebody 
has written the postal for the boy, and not 
cared to sign his own name, so he has simply 
invented one for the occasion.” 

Neither boy seemed able to advance any 
suggestions of value upon the subject, so 
the conversation soon changed. It would 
seem, however, that the postal card was not to 
be so easily put to one side. 


A CLEW AT LAST 


235 


Early the next morning Harry was awak- 
ened by a violent knocking 011 his door, and 
upon inquiry he learned that it was Carrol. . 

“ Landlady been drinking?” asked Harry, 
as he admitted his early visitor. 

“ No. Where’s that gliostty postal card of 
yours ? You haven’t missed it, have you ?” 

“ No, of course not. It’s here 011 the bureau 
somewhere. Here it is.” 

“Well, I’m glad it’s here,” said Carrol, jocu- 
larly, “ for it has really seemed to me that it 
was in my room all night I was thinking 
about it when I went to sleep, and afterwards 
it seemed to float before my eyes by the hour. 
I saw the address so often that I feel sure that 
I’d know Marm by sight, and, as for Murray, 
why, I became convinced that Murray was a 
much abused man ; I did for a fact.” 

“Well, I wish he’d make his appearance to 
resent the abuse. He’s too meek for me.” 

“ Oh, you may ridicule him, but all the 
same you have been cruelly misconstruing 
his actions. I got so awful tired of reading 
that 5th Div., Phila., that I thought I’d try to 
improve upon it, and I believe it can be done. 
See here.” 

Carrol now dropped his bantering tone and 


HARRY AMBLER 


236 

proceeded to point out to Harry liis discovery 
— if so small a matter may be called a dis- 
covery. 

“ You’ve often heard that it is necessary for 
us to mind our ‘ p’s ’ and ‘ q’s ’ — well this is 
a case where you ought to mind your ‘ s’s ’ 
and ‘ v’s.’ I thought that there wasn’t likely 
to be any such thing as a military ‘ Division ’ 
in Philadelphia in time of peace, and that set 
me to thinking. Now, reading that what it 
actually is, an ‘s’ makes this word ‘ Dis.’ 
instead of ‘ Div.’ The result is that Lieu- 
tenant Murray never pretended to be a mili- 
tary officer. He’s just a cop.” 

“A what?” asked Harry. 

“Why a cop — police officer.” 

“ Oh, why on earth didn’t he say so long 
ago ?” 

“ He did. He’s never pretended to be any- 
thing else. He’s only a little careless about 
his small letters — that’s all.” 

“Well, what does it all come to?” 

“Just this. Lieutenant Murray was the 
officer who happened to be in charge of the 
station-house of the fifth police district on the 
day that this postal was written, and by some 
means, which the officer can doubtless explain, 


A CLEW AT LAST 


237 


Jock got him to act as his secretary for the 
occasion. The fifth district station-house is 
not more than three squares away from here. 
No doubt you can easily find Murray if he’s 
alive.” 

The knowledge that the information, which 
might prove of such value to him, was possi- 
bly within an easy walk of his own room, 
suddenly raised Harry’s hopes. 

“Within three squares? Let’s go right 
off,” and he seized his cap and arose to his 
feet. 

“Well,” said Carrol, with more deliberation 
than he had before shown, “ I don’t believe 
that I’m much of a dandy, and aint generally 
very particular how my friends appear, but I 
don’t really believe that you’d be over dressed 
if you were to put on your shirt.” 

Harry had discovered his omission before 
Carrol had finished the sentence, but it did 
not save him from the laugh. The news had 
excited him much more than he could have 
believed possible, and, as a result, the order 
iu which he had proceeded with his toilet was 
decidedly irregular. 

It took but a few minutes to make himself 
ready for the street. While the boys are on 


HARRY AMBLER 


238 

their way to the station-house we may say a 
few words in explanation of Harry’s long 
failure to make out the true meaning of the 
postal card. 

It was simply because , he had never lived 
in a large city where policemen have military 
titles, such as captain and lieutenant. When, 
therefore, he read the title upon the card, no 
other suggestion occurred to him than that 
the writer was an officer in the army. 

As Carrol had said, the station-house Avas 
close at hand, and the boys soon entered its 
ample door-way. They had but little trouble 
in finding the very man for whom they were 
in search, and our hero could not help feeling 
provoked as he thought of the long tramps 
that he had taken for nothing, several of them 
leading him directly past the door of the sta- 
tion-house. 

When Murray came in he had no difficulty 
in remembering the postal. 

“ Remember him ? Why, jest as if it was 
yesterday. It was one morning about ten 
o’clock, and I was sitting here at the desk. 
Somehow, without looking lip, I saw the little 
coon a-standing there a-hangin’ on to the rail- 
ing. I keeps as still as a post fer a minute, 


A CLEW AT LAST 


239 


then all of a sudden I swings around on the 
office-chair, and takes a clip at him with my 
club, lookin’ as savage as I know’d how all 
the time. 

“ Yo’ see, I jest s’posed he was one o’ the 
shiners around here ; and I knew that if he 
was, why, he’d jest duck his head and light 
out before my club was half-way to him. 
Then yo’ know he’d come ’round here to the 
window and sass me to git even. 

“ But bless yo’, he waru’t nohow up to it. 
I’ll be hanged if I don’t b’lieve he took me 
fer a wax figger till I hit at him. He didn’t 
move an inch, an’ my club took him a pretty 
lively rap on the wool. He dropped off the 
railing like a squirrel lettin’ go o’ the bark o’ 
a tree after he’s shot. He didn’t squeal at all, 
only jest gave a kind of tired groan, and fell 
in a heap right where you’re standing. 

“ I tell you I was scared. If he’d a-yelled 
and called me names, why, I’d have know’d 
he’d soon be on deck again, but he didn’t, he 
jest groaned. I takes the little codger into 
the back office and sends for the police sur- 
geon. 

u Well, it turned out after all that the club 
hadn’t done much harm. He was jest ready 


240 


HARRY AMBLER 


to drop from tire and hunger, anyway. I 
never in my born days saw sich lookin’ feet. 
Why, that boy must have walked around the 
world. Now, that’s the first I seen of him. 

“ Now, about this card. After I seen that 
he wasn’t much hurt, why, I turned him over 
to Jane — she’s the old woman that takes care 
of these offices — and asked her to look after 
him fer awhile. I told him how I was only a 
guyin’ him when I clipped him over the head 
with the stick, and after awhile he kind o’ took 
to me, and he used to come around pretty 
frequent. 

“ Well, one morning I was writing here, when 
he comes in and asks me to write a letter for 
him. I says ‘ yes,’ and he comes inside the 
railing, as if the matter was to be kept between 
ourselves. Then when I’d took down a postal 
card, and dipped the pen in the ink, he told 
me what to write. 

“ ‘-Marm. I never done it.’ 

“ ‘ Done what,’ says I. 

“‘Why, only jes’ that ’ere,’ says ne. 
‘ She’ll un’erstan’, she will.’ That was all I 
could git out o’ him. 

“ When it came to Marm’s address we were 
stuck again. It took half an hour to find out 


A CLEW AT LAST 


241 


tliat Marm lived on Rab’s Run below the 
Ford, and not more than three miles from 
Mountville, Pa. I jest turned the postal card 
over to Uncle Sam in that shape. 

“ So the old girl got it all right, did she ?” 
asked the officer, as he took another look at 
the dilapidated card. 

“ Yes, she got it all right, but where’s the 
boy now ?” asked Harry, showing rather more 
nervousness than he would have liked. 

“Well, now you’ve got me,” replied the 
officer. “ He came around here for quite 
awhile, but he stopped coming months ago. 
You see, by one accident or another we’re apt 
to have some such little chap around the 
station about all the time. They stay till 
something happens that don’t suit their idees 
of what’s square, and then they put out. We 
aint al’ays good natured round here. It de- 
pends largely on what we had fer breakfast.” 

“ But we’re very anxious to find him,” said 
Harry, “ and would be very glad of anything 
that would help us.” 

“ Sorry, gents, but he aint been here fer 
months, and I don’t never expect to see him 
here again — unless he comes in by the active 
persuasion o’ some o’ the force, and I hardly 

16 


242 HARRY AMBLER 

think he’ll do anythin* very bad. What do 
you want him fer anyway ? Was it chickens?” 
asked the officer shrewdly. 

“ Oh, no,” responded Harry. “ Harm is 
anxious to see him and so am I. Do you re- 
member what it was that made him stop com- 
ing here ?” 

“ Why, yes, I do. He was here one morn- 
ing, and blacked somebody’s boots — we’d kind 
of helped him to git a box to go into busi- 
ness — and the man didn’t have the change to 
pay fer the shine when it was done. Instead 
o’ saying so right out, he sort of made it 
worse by pretending as how the little coon 
had wore a hole in his shoe by brushing too 
hard, and that he wouldn’t pay fer the job on 
that account. 

14 Somehow the boy didn’t think the joke 
was worth a nickel, and he got mad. After 
he’d jawed awhile, he shouldered his box and 
marched out the door with the style of a ma- 
jor general. I thought at the time that he 
was going to give us the shake, and he did. 
He hain’t been here since.” 

“ Isn’t there any place where we would be 
likely to find him ?” 

“ Speaking of chickens,” said the officer 


A CLEW AT LAST 


243 


slowly, “ gave me an idee. I don’t know 
where the boy is now, but if you care to come 
around again in — say, about the middle o’ 
November — why, I’ll tell you when and where 
you can find him. It’ll be a dead-sure point 
on him, if he’s alive and in Philadelphia.” 

The boys tried in vain to get some imme- 
diate information from Murray. He seemed 
equally certain, however, that he didn’t know 
anything at present, and that he would know 
something of value by the time mentioned. 

“ That beats the Dutch !” was Carrol’s com- 
ment as they passed out of the door and down 
the steps from the station-house. 


CHAPTER XXI 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


HE next few weeks of our hero’s expe- 



rience as errand boy and clerk for the 
firm of Shores & Co. brought no incident 
which could be of interest to the reader. 
He still found the occupation much to his 
liking, and would have been very glad 
to keep the position. His duties had re- 
quired him to travel a great deal to all parts 
of the city, and he had seen many things to 
interest and amuse him. Most of these sights 
were, however, of such a character that they 
would possess no especial interest for boys 
who have lived in or near any of the large 


cities. 


But at last an incident occurred that we 
doubt not will prove of interest. It tried 
Harry’s mettle in a new direction, and under 
circumstances that did not admit of much de- 
liberation. 

He had been sent with a small package to a 


244 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


245 


jewelry store located in Camden, which, as 
my readers know, is situated across the Dela- 
ware River, immediately opposite Philadel- 
phia, and in the State of New Jersey. 

He walked briskly down Market Street to 
take the ferry-boat, as he had had occasion to 
do several times before while in the employ of 
the firm. Of course there were many others 
going in the same direction, and with the same 
purpose of crossing the river. Most of these 
were persons who were to take the cars upon 
the New Jersey side of the river and depart 
for different points to the East. 

Another current of travel was coming from 
the several ferry-boats as they landed their 
passengers at the foot of Market Street. 
Under these circumstances walking was rather 
slow and became slower as they neared the 
ferry. At last Harry descended the hill at the 
foot of Market Street and stood on the curb 
of Delaware Avenue — the last street to be 
crossed before entering the ferry-house. 

A group of perhaps a dozen people had col- 
lected there for the moment, waiting for an op- 
portunity to slip across the street between the 
wagons and drays that were constantly pass- 
ing up and down the street. Occasionally as 


HARRY AMBLER 


246 

they stood there a break would occur in the 
line of vehicles, and when it did a number of 
the foot passengers would improve the chance 
by slipping across. 

Just ahead of Harry was a gentleman who 
had reached Delaware Avenue at about the same 
time with himself. Without having noticed 
him particularly, our hero was conscious of 
having had a view of this gentleman’s back 
during the last two or three blocks of his 
walk along Market Street. 

The traveler carried a canvas gripsack of 
moderate dimensions, and had the appearance 
of one about to leave the city. His attention 
was evidently all given to the matter of getting 
away. While they were standing there a 
ferry-boat put out from her slip and this gen- 
tleman’s exclamation showed that he was pro- 
voked at having missed it. 

The next moment he thought he saw a 
chance to cross, and preferring the risk of 
being run down to the annoyance of further 
delay, he made the attempt. His step proved 
to be a little too dignified for the occasion. 
When half way across a reckless hack driver 
cracked his whip and bore down upon the pe- 
destrian with a sudden speed which left the 
latter no choice. He was obliged to run. 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


247 


Not more than half a dozen hasty steps 
were necessary. As Harry saw him start to 
run away from the approaching danger he 
would have described the stranger as a busi- 
ness man of some importance — probably the 
head clerk in some wholesale house. In the 
fraction of a second later, as the involuntary 
fugitive set foot on the opposite curb the boy 
would unhesitatingly have pronounced him a 
thief 

Twice during his short race had his left leg 
given way beneath the stranger’s rapid stride. 
Of course a mere defect in the step is so com- 
mon that ordinarily it would attract no lasting 
notice, but in this case the motion was so 
peculiar that Harry could not believe that two 
people in the same city possessed it. The 
knee seemed to give way without any warning 
to the man himself, and yet he seemed able to 
recover himself instantly whenever it occurred. 
This gave a sudden and peculiar dipping mo- 
tion, which, however, was not at all apparent 
while he was walking. 

We need hardly say that Harry’s heart 
beat violently at the sight. Keeping his eyes 
fixed upon the canvas gripsack and its owner, 
the boy slipped across Delaware Avenue 


248 


HARRY AMBLER 


tinder the noses of the next span of horses. 
The object of his attention was just seating 
himself within the ferry-house to await the 
next boat. 

Now while Harry did not believe that the 
man would be apt to recognize him as the 
peddler of lamp-shades, who had been present 
at the diamond transaction, he did not think 
it wise to make himself too conspicuous. His 
present business suit certainly disguised him 
enough, unless by being too much in his way, 
the man should be led to examine his feat- 
ures. 

Harry was obliged to admit that but for the 
peculiarity of his step he would never have 
thought of selecting the self-possessed gentle- 
man now reading his paper on the bench in 
the ferry-house, as the same self-possessed per- 
son who had given Mr. Harkins so much 
valuable information upon the subject of dia- 
monds. 

His form was much less portly, and he wore 
no whiskers, but these changes were easily ac- 
counted for when he realized that the man had 
deliberately entered the store for the unlawful 
purpose which he had so neatly accomplished. 
The expression about the eyes and mouth, as 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


249 


he was able to observe them closely, fully con- 
firmed Harry’s first opinion as to the identity 
of the traveler. 

His uncertainties vanished, but he was now 
confronted with one special certainty which 
gave him more trouble than all his mo- 
mentary doubts. The ferry-boat would be in 
within seven minutes, and would leave on its 
return trip in three minutes more. 

There was a warrant out for the man’s 
arrest, but it was in the hands of a detective 
who was probably at the central station — six 
squares away. It would be simply impossible 
to notify the officer in time to stop the sus- 
pected man from crossing the ferry. Once in 
the State of New Jersey, and he would be 
safely beyond the power of the. Pennsylvania 
officers. 

Harry had but scant time for reflection, and 
he felt a strong foreboding that if the swindler 
got across the river he would not be easily 
found again. Whatever was to be done must 
be done at once. 

An officer was pacing slowly up and down 
in front of the ferry-house and Harry appealed 
to him. 

“ Mr. Officer, I believe that the man who 


HARRY AMBLER 


250 

robbed Shores & Co. of a set of diamonds a 
few months ago is now in the ferry-house, and 
I want you to arrest him.” 

“ Who are you, anyway ?” asked the police- 
man, with not very great show of interest in 
the information. 

“ I am in the employ of the firm — Shores 
& Co. — and I saw the man who took the dia- 
monds. I am very sure that this is he.” 

The officer became sufficiently interested to 
walk around and take a look at the object of 
the boy’s suspicions. The man’s appearance 
did not seem to at all strengthen Harry’s po- 
sition with the officer. 

“ Well, if you want me to collar a gentle- 
man like that, why, young fellow, you’ve just 
got to produce a warrant. I don’t take no 
risks of that kind.” 

“You aint going to let a robber get out of 
the State just because the warrant don’t hap- 
pen to be right at hand when lie’s found, are 
you ?” 

“ Not if I knew he was the man, but I’m 
inclined to think that you’re barking up the 
wrong tree. You hain’t been long in this 
business, I reckon ?” 

“ No, sir, I haven’t, but I know that that’s 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


251 


tlie man, and if you once get him to the sta- 
tion I’ll biting the clerk that sold the dia- 
monds, and he’ll identify him beyond a 
doubt.” 

“ So you say. Now, youngster, my honest 
opinion is that you’ve spotted a New Jersey 
minister who’s been over to the city to attend 
a Conference, or something o’ that kind. Why, 
he’s the best-looking man in the room.” 

The .incoming ferry-boat was blowing the 
whistle as a signal to stop her wheels as she 
came down into the slip. Seconds were be- 
coming valuable. Harry suggested the reward 
that had been offered for the arrest of the 
criminal. No, the officer was thoroughly de- 
cided not to interfere. 

“If I know that anybody commits any 
kind of a crime around here I’ll do my hull 
duty, and I know what it is, too, without ask- 
ing fer advice from you. Why the other day 
I caught a pickpocket in the room there, and 
I collared him quick enough. 

“ Why it was harder to get the man who 
was robbed to go to the station than it was the 
boy that went into his pocket ; but I took 
them both ; you can bet I will every time.” 

“You can’t make a man appear against a 


252 


HARRY AMBLER 


thief if lie don’t want to,” said Harry, a little 
aggressively. 

“ Well, I rather reckon I can. Now don’t 
do any more jawing, and don’t be so fresh 
next time yon come to town.” 

Harry turned away, and again entered the 
house. The passengers were coming off of 
the boat that had just made fast to the slip. 
Those who desired to cross to Camden had 
formed a line at the gate ready to pay their 
fares and pass on board the moment the gate 
was opened. 

The thought of .seeing the man for whom 
he had been looking so long, coolly proceed 
on his journey, and all because a timid officer 
would not assume the responsibility of stop- 
ping him, was too much for the boy. He de- 
termined to take part in the proceedings him- 
self. 

The quiet-looking traveler arose with the 
others and advanced towards the gate, and 
Harry slipped into the line immediately be- 
hind him. Before reaching the gate each 
passenger paid his fare at the window. Harry’s 
companion carried a cane in one hand and the 
gripsack in the other, and with this load he 
found it exceedingly inconvenient to get at 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


253 


his pocket. He therefore set the gripsack 
upon the floor by his side while he procured 
the necessary coin. 

No sooner had the grip touched the floor 
than the boy seized it, and, slipping out of the 
line, started on a brisk walk for the street 
door. The next second the owner, having 
paid his fare, stooped over and clutched for the 
handle of his grip. It was gone, and he 
looked around in surprise. 

Harry’s manner had not at first been so 
hasty as to cause any chance observer to in- 
terfere with his actions. He had just ex- 
tended his hand to push open the street door, 
when he heard the voice of the astonished 
owner. 

“ Hy, you there !” 

The boy did not wait for further develop- 
ments but started at once on a run down 
Delaware Avenue, dodging among the vehicles 
and behind piles of produce, and barrels of flour, 
until he was at least half a block from the 
ferry. Long before this he had heard the cry, 
which no circumstances could render pleasant, 
of “stop thief!” and he knew that he was be- 
ing pursued. 

Just then, too, he heard the whistle and bell 


254 


HARRY AMBLER 


of the ferry-boat as she pulled out into the 
stream. He slackened his pace and walked 
along with as much deliberation of manner as 
was possible under the circumstances. In a 
few seconds the officer with whom he had been 
talking but a moment before laid his hand 
upon Harry’s shoulder. 

“ Hold on here,” said the panting policeman 
as he fastened his grip on the boy’s collar. 
Then as he reached over and took possession 
of the traveling-bag he recognized Harry’s 
face. 

“ Oh, ho, it’s you, is it ? No wonder you 
wanted me to snatch the other fellow. You’d 
just have walked off with his gripsack and 
bank notes while I was a managing him, 
wouldn’t you ? You’d have offered to carry 
the bag to the station-house, wouldn’t you ? 
and then skipped down the first alley we come 
to. I know your kind from toe to top-knot. 
Come along here, and I’ll show you how we 
arrest thieves when we git thegenuine article.” 

“ What’s the matter now ?” asked Harry, 
in great apparent surpiise. 

“ What’s the matter ? Why you stole my 
gripsack, that’s what’s the matter,” said the 
indignant owner of that article, shaking his; 


what’s the matter now?” asked harry, in great apparent surprise 







. 




' 
























































































































































































































. 














































HARRY IS ARRESTED 25 7 

cane threatingly as he caught up with the 
officer. 

“ Stole your grip ?” repeated Harry, as he 
eyed the sack intently. “ If that aint my own 
sack, why, mister, all I’ve got to say is that I 
had one very much like it.” 

“ Oh, come on here,” said the policeman, 
with an air of disgust as he started with the 
boy briskly up the street. 

The owner of the stolen property hesitated 
in evident doubt as to what to do. 

“ Say, officer, can’t you have this little 
wretch jugged without my going back? I 
ought to have been over the river half an 
hour ago. He won’t have the cheek to deny 
the theft, and I really must go.” 

As he spoke the man extended his hand to 
take his baggage. 

“ No, sir !' 1 ' 1 exclaimed the officer with empha- 
sis. “ You don’t ketch me turning in a 
prisoner without either the stolen property or 
the prosecuting witness. No, sir!" 

They proceeded some little distance in 
silence when the man again spoke out. 

“ Say, just give hin; a kick and let him go. • 
It’s out of the question for me to spend an 
hour or so over this thing.” 

17 


HARRY AMBLER 


258 

This suggestion was the first one which, 
had caused any very serious concern to the 
prisoner. He was relieved to see that the 
policeman did not take to it kindly. 

“ Now, look here, I don’t want any more of 
this nonsense. You’re as much bound to go 
to the station as I am myself, and there aint 
the least bit o’ use in growling. • If we go 
right along you’ll be through in ten minutes ; 
but whether it’s ten minutes or two hours, it’s 
got to be done just the same. Why, if I let 
you go, this here little pickpocket would just 
as like as not swear that it was his valise and 
that you stole it yourself. I know ’em, I tell 
you.” 

The impatient traveler now saw that there 
was nothing to be done but to get through 
with the disagreeable business as soon as 
possible. They walked rapidly, and in five 
minutes more were before the magistrate. 

Harry managed to get one of the court 
officers to send into the Police Department, 
which was but a few steps distant, for the de- 
tective who had the warrant for the arrest of 
the diamond robber. 

The officer from the ferry at once went on 
to the witness stand and began to describe the 


HARRY IS ARRESTED 


2 C9 


arrest. While he was doing this the detective 
entered the room and stood among the crowd 
by the door. He recognized Harry and quietly 
awaited developments. 

The crisis came sooner than even Harry 
had expected. The witness, to show the depth 
of the young prisoner’s depravity, testified to 
his persistent attempt to cause the arrest of 
the man whom he intended to rob. 

“ He had a whole made up story about 
this gentleman being the thief that robbed 
Shores & Co. of those diamonds, awhile back, 
and he tried his best to get me to arrest him. 
He said if he could only get the man here he 
could have it all proved up clear enough.” 

Hearing a slight movement among the 
audience, Harry looked around and saw the 
owner of the grip making for the door, with 
the manifest purpose of escaping. The boy 
gave the detective a sign, which was at once 
understood, and the next moment the traveler 
had ceased his travels. He was a prisoner. 

A few words of explanation, and Harry was 
discharged from custody. The policeman 
returned to his beat, to boast of his capture 
of the great diamond thief. 

The latter was in due time convicted, and 


26 o 


HARRY AMBLER 


by his confession the stolen property finally 
reached the hands of its owners. 

Shores & Co. made it their business to see 
that Harry received three hundred dollars of 
the reward which was paid. While the money 
had not at all influenced his action in the 
matter, our hero could not avoid the pleasure 
that came from knowing how useful it would 
be at home. 


CHAPTER XXII 


PRACTICAL POLITICS 

TT ARRY’S service at the great jewelry es- 
tablishment came to an end within a 
few days after the payment of the reward 
referred to in the last chapter. As, however, 
it was now wanting but a short time before 
the day fixed by Lieutenant Murray for impart- 
ing his mysterious information about Jock, our 
hero determined to await that time, without 
deciding upon his own future action. He was 
somewhat tired, and he felt that he could now 
afford a short rest. 

Harry, while he was a steady and courageous 
boy, was after all only a boy. This being 
true, he shared the common love of boys for 
surprising other people whenever a surprise 
is possible. He now thought what a fine 
thing it would be if he could suddenly drop 
in on the folks at the Falls and witness his 
mother’s astonishment when he handed over 
to her his little fortune, and set them all 
guessing as to how he acquired it. 


261 


262 


HARRY AMBLER 


He was greatly tempted to take the trip at 
once, but on second thought he concluded to 
postpone it until after his interview with Lieu- 
tenant Murray. He did not now expect much 
from his pursuit of the colored boy, even if 
he found him, but he was thoroughly deter- 
mined to see the matter to the end. 

With this plan in view he did not inform 
his mother of the capture of the thief, or the 
payment of the reward. At the Falls, there- 
fore, they naturally supposed that when his 
work had ceased at Shores & Co.’s store, he 
had at once set to seeking other employ- 
ment. 

While Harry is resting from his somewhat 
active and exciting experiences of the last few 
weeks, we may venture to take a look at the 
state of affairs in the neighborhood of his old 
home. 

The opening of the incline railroad up the 
Falls grade had restored Mr. Conner’s busi- 
ness, and brought cheerfulness again to the 
little family. Mr. Tull realized that he had 
lost his advantage, but he was just then so 
much occupied with his political matters that 
he preferred to postpone any counter move 
upon his part until after the approaching 


PRACTICAL POLITICS 263 

election. Circumstances, however, compelled 
him to alter his plan in this respect. 

By his own offers of great things to the 
farmers in the milling line he had sought to 
increase his own popularity in the coming 
contest, and he had in this way made his mill 
project a part of his political capital. He had, 
in fact, spent a very considerable sum of money 
in the erection of the new mill, but in the end, 
and after all of his boasting, he had been pub- 
licly defeated in his purpose by the ingenuity 
of a mere boy, for Mr. Conner had let every- 
body know that the new road was due to 
Harry Ambler. 

It was Tull’s intention to meet this move 
with another on his own part, which he' had 
good reason to believe would in the end effect 
his purpose, but for the reasons already sug- 
gested he would gladly have waited until he 
had greater leisure to attend to the thing him- 
self. 

His friends, however, including Joshua 
Bates, soon observed that the affair was at- 
tracting a good deal of attention and taking 
the wind out of their candidate’s political 
sails. If it had never been made a matter of 
importance by himself, the voters would have 


264 


HARRY AMBLER 


taken no notice either of its success or failure, 
but now they were saying that they could not 
expect much from a man in the legislature 
who could not hold his own in a business 
matter against a boy. 

Clearly something had to be done, and that, 
with promptness and decision. 

As was natural, there had been great im- 
provements in the methods of making flour 
since the erection of the old mill at the Falls, 
and both Tull and Conner were aware of the 
fact. In undertaking his new mill, however, 
Mr. Tull had reasonably enough relied upon 
his overwhelming advantage of position to. 
secure him practically the whole business of 
the neighborhood, and had not cared to unne- 
cessarily incur the expense of the most im- 
proved machinery. 

Now, however, he saw that he must either 
do so or fail in his enterprise, for Mr. Conner 
would distance him if they were left to com- 
pete upon equal terms. It was therefore but 
a matter of time, and, as we have seen, it was 
found best for the sake of political effect to do 
it at once. The result was that he imme- 
diately set about procuring the machinery by 
which the best quality of flour in the market 
could be made. 


PRACTICAL, POLITICS 


265 


He was confident that Mr. Conner could not 
obtain the money to make similar improve- 
ments in the old mill. 

The election was yet two weeks off when 
the Union Bugle , the county newspaper which 
favored his election, contained the announce- 
ment that “ Mr. Tull’s new mill, as recently 
improved, is probably the finest flouring mill 
in Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia and 
Pittsburg.” 

Having taken this prompt step to secure at 
once his business and political success, the 
candidate had but little time to give to the 
operation of the mill itself. Every day, and 
almost every hour brought some new develop- 
ment in politics which required his attention. 
Some of these will be found worthy of our 
own. 

One morning Tull was suddenly summoned 
to the office of his friend, the notary. The 
cause and result of the message were as fol- 
lows. 

The railroad company whose line passed 
through Mountville had for a long time in- 
tended to build a branch road from Mountville 
out into the interior, which should reach the 
farming and lumber regions about and beyond 


266 


HARRY AMBLER 


Tull’s Crossing. Almost as a matter of ne- 
cessity it would liave a station at tlie Crossing. 

Now the company, desiring to procure the 
land necessary for its purposes along the line 
as cheaply as possible, had employed indivi- 
duals to purchase it as if for themselves. The 
fact that it was ultimately intended for the 
company was kept a secret. In this way the 
needed land had been procured and the com- 
pany was now ready to commence laying its 
track. 

The shrewd notary had been one of these 
secret purchasers, and when his employment 
was ended he looked around to see how his 
knowledge of the situation could be made of 
service to himself or clients. As a result of 
his reflections he had sent for Tull, with 
whose interests his own were now very closely 
connected. 

He briefly informed his client of the facts 
which we have just recited and told him that 
within three weeks at the longest, the track 
would actually be building between Mountville 
and the Crossing. This news merely stupefied 
his listener with astonishment, without sug- 
gesting any particular action upon his own 
part ; but he was soon awakened. 


PRACTICAL POLITICS 


267 

“ Now, Jerry,” said his counsel, “ this thing 
won’t keep twenty-four hours. The company 
itself may let it out at any time, and then 
your bread will be all dough, as far as this 
point is concerned. 

“ Go right home and tell it around to a half- 
dozen of the right kind of fellows, that after 
a tremendous struggle with the Board of Di- 
rectors of the company you have succeeded in 
getting the branch road built immediately, 
and that it is to run from Mountville to the 
Crossing instead of starting from Marsburg, 
twenty miles further up, and leaving the 
Crossing out in the cold, as was the company’s 
intention up to within three days. 

“ Tell how you heard of the thing just in 
time, and got an extra meeting of the Board 
at midnight and labored with them — well, to 
draw it mild, say until two o’clock in the 
morning — and at last proved to them that they 
would be flying in the face of Providence to 
follow out their original plan and not touch 
at the Crossing. I think you catch the idea ; 
now work it for all it’s worth, and do it at 
once.” 

This scheme of practical politics brought 
Tull up to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. 


268 


HARRY AMBLER 


“Say, JosL, can’t you jest write that out ? 
I believe I could get that by heart and rattle 
it off pretty fine.” 

“ No, that aiut necessary, and besides there 
aint time. It’s all lying anyway, and when 
it comes to that, I reckon, Jerry, you can get 
along without notes.” 

“ Say,” queried the candidate, cautiously, 
“ this is all right, and as it stands, it’s the 
biggest thing on the bills ; but s’pose the Di- 
rectors come out and say that they aint never 
seen me at all. That’d kind o’ knock the 
stuffin’ out o’ it, wouldn’t it ?” 

“ Kind of, I reckon. I’ve already thought 
o’ that, and it’s all right. You just authorize 
me to offer them a half-acre of the Ambler 
place free for a station, and I’ll see that they 
don’t interfere with your election affairs. You 
could afford to give them the land anywa}\ 
It’ll make the place worth ten times what Am- 
bler — that is, what it sold for the last time. 
Anyway, Tull, you’re a better man than 
Lovell — for the company — and I can easily 
manage their part of it.” 

“ Well, I can tend to the other part of it — 
the spreading of the news among the intelli- 
gent voters, As to the station, why, of course, 


PRACTICAL POLITICS 269 

I’d give one-half of the place to have the sta- 
tion there, and I’d make the biggest kind of 
a speculation on the rest of the land for house- 
lots.” 

“ Well, start the ball a-rolling as soon as 
you can, and, Jerry, don’t you forget thal 
you’re the strongest kind o’ a temp’rance man 
during the whole fight. That thing’s taking 
better than I thought it would. It’s scooping 
in the church people from the country like a 
raffle at a church fair. Keep her up. There’s 
lots of saloons at Harrisburg after you once 
get there.” 

These latter references were in regard to 
Mr. Tull’s position upon the important ques- 
tion of temperance. The people of his county 
were strongly impressed with the evil results 
of the liquor traffic, and he had therefore 
found it advisable to take ground against the 
saloon’s, somewhat to his own inconvenience. 
He was glad to hear that there was likely to 
be some return for his self-denial. 

He hastened back to the Crossing and soon 
showed that he fully deserved Bates’s confi- 
dence. That night he imparted the circum- 
stances of his great victory to a political 
friend, with the request that it be kept a secret. 


2 JO 


HARRY AMBLER 


He tlien retired to bed in the fullest assurance 
that by noon of the next day everybody would 
have the news. He was not mistaken. The 
coining of a railroad to a little village is an 
important event under any circumstances, and 
it had been the one great hope of the Crossing 
for several years. 

At first the news was not believed, but when, 
the next day the principal fact was confirmed 
by the company, people saw no reason to 
doubt the details so confidently recited by Mr. 
Tull’s friends. He was on the crest of the 
wave, even with those who personally dis- 
liked the man. 

The candidate himself managed to make it 
appear that he was reluctant to have the mat- 
ter become public. When spoken to about it 
on the day after his interview with Bates, he 
inquired for the questioner’s informant, and 
was, of course, given the name of the person 
to whom he had himself imparted the news. 

u Well, now you just take my advice, an’ 
don’t never trust that man with a secret — he 
aint reliable.” 

Since, however, the thing had gotten out, 
even against his own desire, he consented to 
discourse upon it. To the crowd on Feland’s 


PRACTICAL POLITICS 


271 


porch he admitted that he had been scared 
when he first heard of the decision of the Di- 
rectors to branch off at Marsburg. The diffi- 
culty with which he had induced the presi- 
dent to call the Board together again to listen 
to his arguments ; the stubborn opposition of 
certain of the Directors ; the facts and figures 
which he presented on behalf of his constitu- 
ents ; the intimations that if the people of 
his county were trifled with too long an oppo- 
sition road would be organized, and the vote 
at last, when by a majority of one the Board 
had revoked its former action and decided to 
serve the best interests of the company as 
well as those of the Crossing, all these and 
many more facts of an interesting character 
were drawn from the reluctant statesman 
within the space of half an hour after the 
crowd at Feland’s had reached a respectable 
size. 

The Bugle took up the matter and fairly 
outdid its former efforts in praising the modest 
energy of “ our next representative in the 
legislative halls.” 

Mr. Lovell, the opposing candidate, recog- 
nized the seriousness of the situation. He 
strongly suspected that the story was a fabri- 


272 HARRY AMBLER 

cation, but Bates had already closed the 
mouths of the Directors, and no information 
of value was to be obtained from that quarter. 

The editor of the Freeman'' s Record , which 
journal advocated Mr. Lovell’s election, real- 
ized that nothing short of a counter sensation 
of at least equal magnitude, would save that 
geutleman from an overwhelming defeat. He 
at once set to work to discover something that 
would fill the bill, and he found just what he 
wanted. It came from a most unexpected 
source. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


MARM TAKES A HAND 


HE political contest to which we have re- 



ferred was so warm and the newspapers 
were so full of attacks and defenses of the re- 
spective candidates that everybody in the 
county became thoroughly familiar with their 
names, virtues, and faults. Each of them — 
Mr. Tull and Mr. Lovell — daily received the 
most extravagant praise and unqualified abuse 
from the two partisan papers — the Union 
Bugle and the F re email’s Record. 

Among the other citizens who had been en- 
lightened by the papers and the flaming post- 
ers which adorned the cross-roads was the old 
colored woman Marm. 

She had special reasons for recognizing the 
name of “ Tull,” as it stared at her on her 
various travels about the neighborhood. She 
had learned that he was the man who had 
visited her cabin with two other men on the 
day of Jock’s departure. His savage threats 


273 


274 HARRY AMBLER 

upon that occasion had both alarmed and an- 
gered the old woman. 

Now it happened that in rummaging about 
the attic some months after Jock’s disappear- 
ance, Marm had come upon the boy’s singular 
prize — the water-soaked fragments of a torn 
deed. She at once scented a mystery, and a 
secret was dear to her for its own sake, with- 
out much regard to its size or character. 

She spread the now dry pieces of paper 
upon the floor and surveyed them with ever- 
increasing respect. From the conspicuous 
letters and ample seals she was at once con- 
vinced that she possessed. a document of vast 
importance. 

Not being able at the time to undertake to 
get at the true meaning of the unfamiliar 
words before her, she concluded to hide her 
prize until a more convenient season. With 
commendable caution she examined the only 
closet in the room, peered down the narrow 
staircase, and looked out of the window to 
make sure that she was not being watched. 
After “ shooing ” away an impertinent black 
bird that had perched upon a limb unneces- 
sarily near to the window, she lifted the mat- 
tress and replaced the precious paper in its 
former hiding-place. 


HARM TAKES A HAND 


2 75 


Upon at least a dozen occasions that day she 
was obliged to visit the attic, and upon each 
occasion she took a sly peep at the deed. 

Now to properly understand Mann’s 
thoughts aud conclusions as to this document, 
we must remember who. she was. The im- 
portant events of this world, as far as they 
had come under her observation, were con- 
nected with the great war which had given her 
her freedom. She had lived in the South dur- 
ing the entire struggle, and the names anddeeds 
of the heroes of that struggle were so impressed 
upon her memory that only death would dis- 
turb them. 

For a short time she had served near the 
headquarters of the federal army, and it had 
been her fortune at that time to catch oc- 
casional glimpses of the formal official docu- 
ments bearing the seal of the War Depart- 
ment, which were so often in the hands of the 
officers. When, therefore, she gazed on the 
great letters and the- broad gilt seal of the 
notary, Bates, she had no doubt as to the gen- 
eral character of the paper before her. 

“ It am one ob dem ol’ war papers, fer suali,” 
she said. 

She was so confident upon this point that it 


2j6 


HARRY AMBLER 


would have required pretty strong evidence to 
convince her of her mistake. Instead, how- 
ever, of finding such evidence, her further in- 
vestigations only confirmed her in her first 
opinion. 

When at length she found the opportunity to 
pursue her study of the mysterious paper, she 
used every precaution to avoid discovery. 
After fastening the doors and obscuring the 
windows, she would spread the pieces of paper 
upon the table, beneath the full light of the 
lamp, and secure them in their respective 
positions with pins. She was then ready for 
the task. 

It is to be remembered that Marm was not 
recklessly hasty in her reading, under any 
circumstances ; and in the present instance 
she had every reason for deliberation. 

Leaning forward with the weight of her, not 
exactly fairy-like, form resting upon the table, 
she would adjust her chin to her open left 
hand supported upon its elbow, while with the 
index finger of the right hand she would fol- 
low word after word along the lines of the 
paper. 

The light that reached her face, did so 
through the bright green shade that enveloped 


MARM TAKES A HAND 277 

the flame and produced a tint, which would 
certainly have puzzled, and possibly have 
alarmed, an artist. While actually engaged 
in the work of translation, Marm’s mouth re- 
mained open sufficiently wide to allow her 
tongue to extend. When this member disap- 
peared from sight it indicated either that its 
owner had some comment to make, or that she 
had abandoned her attack upon some par- 
ticularly obscure word. 

She did not long insist upon taking the 
sentences in their regular order. After labor- 
ing for awhile upon some unresponsive spot, 
she would skip along in search of more fruit- 
ful soil. 

The reader is already aware that the docu- 
ment which was undergoing this severe scru- 
tiny, was the deed by which Jeremiah Tull had 
sold and conveyed to Parker Ambler the little 
farm near the Crossing. Its language was of 
course the legal phraseology always found in 
such documents. Even if the old colored 
woman could have pronounced every word that 
it contained, she would not have gathered the 
correct meaning of more than one in twenty. 

Yet there was the continual repetition of the 
one name — “ Jeremiah Tull.” She very soon 


278 


HARRY AMBLER 


learned to recognize it on sight, and without 
the delay of spelling it out. She concluded 
that whatever the exact character of the paper 
might be, it in some way related to the war 
record of Jeremiah Tull — the man whose 
character was just now being discussed by 
everybody whom she met. Her interest very 
naturally increased with the knowledge that 
she perhaps held in her hands the secrets of 
so important a personage. 

“ Jeremier Tull, Jeremier Tull. Now what 
hab Jeremier been doin’? Dat am de ques- 
tion.” 

She slowly moved her finger from word to 
word. Suddenly she came to one that riveted 
her attention. It was the word “ GRANT ” 
which for special emphasis is frequently 
printed in capital letters. There it was, stand- 
ing out boldly in the midst of the common 
words, and Marm pounced upon it with her 
forefinger as if it had been a moth. 

“I know’d it, I know’d it,” she exclaimed 
with pride at the confirmation of her predic- 
tions. “It’s all ’bout dat ’are Jeremier Tull 
an’ Gen’ral Grant. I jes’ bet that feller Tull 
war a rebel, an’ Gen’ral Grant cotched him at 
it, dat’s jes’ zactly what I ’spects,” and with 


MARTI TAKES A HAND 279 

constantly increasing curiosity she bent to her 
task. 

Wherever she found a word whose meaning 
seemed to bear out her theory, as to Mr. Tull’s 
capture by the distinguished chieftain, her 
face shone with renewed pleasure. She 
generally greeted such a discovery with some 
passing comment, holding her finger firmly 
on the particular word, as if to keep it in place 
while she discussed it. 

“ Warrant.” “ Le’ me see, why, dat’s what 
dey al’ays has to ’rest people with. Dat’s 
what dat Tull said dey was goin’ to git out 
after my Jock. Guess he hab mighty good 
reason fer to know what a warrant am, him 
own self.” 

And so when she found the words “ sur- 
render ” and u release.” u I s’pose arter while 
he foun’ it warn’t no kind o’ use standin’ out 
ag’in Gen’ral Grant, an’ he jes’ comes up an’ 
s’reudered hisself, an’ then arter while I ’spect 
Gen’ral Grant tol’ his sogers jes’ ter let him 
go, he warn’t no good, nohow. Guess dat ’are 
war de w^ay ob it.” 

At length there were signs of some still 
more significant discovery. Her tongue, 
although silent, was unusually active. She 


2So 


HARRY AMBLER 


had found a number of words in connection, 
which, when read together, seemed to her to 
settle the question beyond possible doubt. 
The task of reading them so as to get their 
united meaning was a slow one, and for greater 
certainty she repeated it several times. At 
length she read them aloud : 

‘ ‘ 4 The said Jeremiah Tull being this day law- 
fully seized .’ 

44 1 tol’ you so. Gen’ral Grant suah to 
cotcli him. Why, dat Tull warn’t nowhare to 
Gen’ral Grant — nowhare at all.” 

From this point the old woman’s curiosity 
commenced to decline. After getting at the 
important facts, which indeed she had sus- 
pected from the first, there was not mixch 
pleasure in following out the almost hopeless 
task of learning the small details. 

For such of our readers as may not be 
familiar with the language of legal docu- 
ments, we will explain that the various expres- 
sions, which meant so much to the old colored 
woman, were merely the phrases to be found 
in almost every deed of real estate. To be 
44 lawfully seized ” meant simply that the per- 
son was the owner of the land and had pos- 
session of it.. Therefore the sentence which 


MARK TAKES A HAND 


28l 


Marm had discovered was only the legal way 
of saying that on the day that the deed was 
made Jeremiah Tull was the lawful owner of 
the land that he was about to sell to Mr. 
Ambler. 

Marm carefully refolded the paper and de- 
termined that in the morning she would hide 
it in a safer place than the cabin. She fur- 
ther decided to go into politics herself. 

She carried out both purposes without delay. 
The precious document was deposited in a 
particularly secret place in the woods which 
Marm had every reason to regard as entirely 
safe. 

That afternoon she met some of the Bram- 
ble Town people, and in ten minutes she gave 
them to understand that if the voters at large 
knew half as much about “ dat Massa Tull ” 
as she did, his chances of election would be 
exceedingly slight. 

So it came about that when the industrious 
representative of the Freeman's Record reached 
the colored settlement, in his search for infor- 
mation as to Mr. Tull’s history, he was con- 
fidently referred to Marm. 

He found her cheerfully communicative. 


282 


HARRY AMBLER 


She did not ask that her name should, for 
family or any other reasons, be kept from the 
public. It was, however, so long since she 
had been called by her real name that it would 
have been difficult to devise a better method 
of concealing her identity than by using it 
now. 

She gave the delighted newspaper man the 
facts of Mr. Tull’s history, as she understood 
them, but she steadfastly declined to exhibit 
the documents by which, as she said, she could 
prove every word of her statement. 

The next issue of the Record contained an 
article which fairly convulsed the political 
community. 

“ Fortunate Escape from Disgrace.” “Jere- 
miah Tull, a Red-handed Rebel during the 
Civil War. A Conspicuous Patriot in Time 
of Peace.” 

These were some of the head-lines that 
greeted the heretofore confident candidate at 
his breakfast table. 

The article itself contained a great deal to 
show that the journal in which it appeared, 
had spared neither time, labor, nor money to 
get at the exact truth ; that as the result of 
patient investigation it was able to assure its 


MARM TAKES A HAND 283 

readers of the absolute accuracy of its infor- 
mation. 

u We have ascertained beyond the possi- 
bility of a reasonable doubt that Jeremiah 
Tull, at present a candidate for the suffrages 
of the loyal people of this county, was during 
the hour of the nation’s greatest need in arms 
against the government. Nay, more, that he 
was at one time captured by the troops under 
the command of General Grant, and for a con- 
siderable time held a prisoner of war. 

“ To meet the possible insinuation that 
these charges are manufactured for political 
purposes, we will give our authority, without 
waiting to be interrogated. The facts come 
to our reporter directly from Mrs. Susannah 
Cobb, an estimable and intelligent woman 
who resided in the South during the whole of 
the war, and who may, therefore, be reason- 
ably presumed to know whereof she speaks 
with such confidence. Mrs. Cobb has lived 
in this county for more than ten years, and is 
highly spoken of by all who know her. 

“ She says that she still retains in her pos- 
session the documentary proof of the facts 
which we have given. We give her name 
thus early, in order to allow Mr. Tull and his 


284 


HARRY AMBLER 


friends the most ample opportunity to dis- 
prove her charges, or to show any facts as 
to the lady’s reputation for veracity that 
might lead an unbiased person to doubt her 
word. 

“ Of the charges themselves, but little need 
be said. Those who have enjoyed the pleas- 
ure of listening to Mr. Tull’s repeated pro- 
fessions of loyalty — both as to the past and 
future — will at once see the necessity of the 
prompt refutation of the charge of treason. 
Unless this can be had, the further candidacy 
of that gentleman, in a loyal community such 
as this, will simply be ridiculous.” 

As Mr. Tull read this astonishing array of 
charges, he recognized the fact that he was in 
a quandary. He had not moved to Pennsyl- 
vania until after the close of the war, so that 
he had only his own word to offer as to his 
conduct during that crisis. Whenever he 
reached a point where his success depended 
upon his reputation for veracity among his 
neighbors, Tull wisely considered the condi- 
tion a critical one. 

No wonder he was stunned by the news. 

Ned, sitting opposite at the table, was no 
less amazed the next moment, to see his father 


MARK TAKES A HAND 285 

deliberately empty tlie contents of the vinegar 
cruet into his coffee, as he impressively asked 
himself the question : 

“ Who ill blazes is Mrs. Susannah Cobb ?” 


CHAPTER XXIV 


A JUST REWARD 

A f R. TULL/S question could be very easily 
answered by anyone possessing the infor- 
mation given in our former chapters, but Mr. 
Tull, himself, soon learned that it would be 
simply impossible for him to discover his as- 
sailant before the day of election, which was 
now so near at hand. 

The editor of the Freeman's Record con- 
tinued to refer to Mrs. Cobb in his paper in 
such a bold and familiar wajr that each reader 
believed that every one but himself must know 
all about her. When, however, Mr. Tull sent 
to the editor to learn Mrs. Cobb’s address, 
word was returned to him that Mrs. Cobb was 
so well known that his pretence of not being 
able to find her was simply absurd. 

Yet something must be done to meet the effect 
of Mrs. Cobb’s charges, and it must be some- 
thing that would reach the ears and eyes of 
the farmers before 'the day of election. 

A last grand public meeting had already 
286 


A JUST REWARD 287 

been arranged for, at Mountville, on the Satur- 
day evening preceding the Tuesday upon 
which the election was to occur. It was de- 
cided to induce a prominent orator from Phila- 
delphia, who had rendered distinguished ser- 
vices to the cause of the Union during the war, 
and who was very popular among the people 
of Mr. Tull’s neighborhood, to address the 
meeting in Mr. Tull’s vindication. 

After some rapid negotiations, it was settled 
that Colonel Putnam Strong should at his own 
desire come to Mountville to raise his voice on 
behalf of the slandered patriot — the patriot 
paying the expenses of the journey. 

Accordingly the Union Bugle announced 
the fact/ and urged every lover of fair play to 
attend. 

Tom Tabor saw this notice, and he decided 
to be present at the great meeting. He first 
made a call upon Mr. Conner and obtained 
from him Mr. Tull’s handsome watch, after 
which he wrote a note containing the most 
complimentary references to Mr. Tull him- 
self. Its exact character, however, will appear 
further on in this chapter. 

When Saturday evening came, it was ap- 


288 


HARRY AMBLER 


parent that the appeals of the newspapers to 
the voters to turn out in full force were being 
responded to with a hearty good-will. The 
various roads leading into the little town were 
lined with all kinds of vehicles conveying the 
inhabitants of the country for miles around. 
It must be admitted that curiosity had at least 
as much to do with the large gathering as 
patriotism, but, whatever the cause the result 
was the same. The meeting was by far the 
largest that had been held in Mountville for 
years. 

When Colonel Strong arrived from Phila- 
delphia, the meeting was already in progress 
and was being addressed by local speakers. 
The Colonel was received by a committee and 
conducted to the hotel for a few minutes of 
preparation before making his appearance at 
the meeting. 

While in his room, a boy knocked at the 
door and handed to him a small package ac- 
companied by a note. The Colonel opened 
and read it at once. 

1 ‘ Colonel Putnam Strong, 

“ Dear Sir : — Accompanying this you will find a 
slight token of the high personal esteem in which 
Jeremiah Tull, Esq , is held by the most prominent 


A JUST REWARD 


289 


citizens of this community. Feeling that there will 
never be a more favorable opportunity than this even- 
ing, we have ventured to so far impose upon your good 
nature as to ask you to make the presentation. 

“ It will be an entire surprise to the recipient, whose 
diffidence might interfere with our friendly purpose if 
the matter were left to his decision. 

“ By complying with this request you will greatly 
add to the pleasure of 

Many Citizens. 

The Colonel opened the package and found 
that the contents corresponded beautifully with 
the purpose and expressions of the note. He 
hailed this occurrence with joy, as he had felt 
very serious doubts as to his ability to speak 
for an hour upon the subject of Jeremiah Tull. 
Now, however, the way was clear enough. He 
would put in the last twenty minutes of his 
time in making the presentation speech. He 
was all right now. 

Five minutes later he was standing upon 
the public platform, facing the immense audi- 
ence, and waiting for a break in the applause 
which had greeted his appearance. Then suc- 
ceeded that breathless silence of expectation 
when every ear is intent upon the first word 
of the orator. 

He was, beyond all question, an eloquent 

19 


ago 


HARRY AMBLER 


speaker, and for nearly three quarters of an 
hour he held his audience as if by a spell. 
He pictured the trials and privations of the 
loyal men in the South during the late civil 
war ; he spoke of the debt of gratitude that 
was due to them from their fellow-patriots of 
the North. He then spoke, with withering 
scorn, of any who would dare to slander the 
loyalty of these heroes. 

At times he had the great audience wild with 
indignation as he denounced the cowardly 
crime of slander, and again it was convulsed 
with laughter as he told some droll story, as 
he alone could tell it. Then he dealt with the 
particular charges against Mr. Tull, and which 
Mr. Tull had so emphatically denied, and he 
showed how unsafe it always was to accept 
rumors of that 'character when they make 
their appearance so nearly before election day. 
Then — he looked at his watch. 

Advancing to the front of the platform, he 
paused for a moment and gazed about him 
upon the sea of expectant faces. Everybody 
realized that he had something of special im- 
portance to communicate, and hardly a mur- 
mur could be heard as he resumed. 

“ Friends. Amid all this storm of slander 


A JUST REWARD 


291 


and vilification that has been raging about the 
head of your honorable and honored candidate 
for the legislature, I am glad to know that he 
stands unshaken in the esteem of those who 
most often meet him in the daily walks of 
life. 

“ I have been selected this evening as the 
humble instrument for expressing to him and 
to you the high regard in which Mr. Tull is 
held by his friends and neighbors. In doing 
this I have reason .to believe that I act against 
the modest impulses of Mr. Tull himself, but 
I cannot let this knowledge stand in the way 
of so pleasant a duty.” 

At this point the orator turned towards Mr. 
Tull, who w 7 as seated upon the platform. As 
he did so he drew from his coat pocket the 
neat little package which he had so recently 
received at the hotel. 

Mr. Tull, seeing in a general way what was 
about to happen, arose and assumed a grace- 
ful attitude in sight of the audience. The 
Colonel then addressed himself to the candi- 
date. 

u Mr. Tull, on behalf of your neighbors 
and friends, I am permitted to place in your 
hands a beautiful memento of the love and 


292 HARRY AMBLER 

respect that lias been inspired by their daily 
contact with yourself. May your future be 
ever as bright, and your honor remain as un- 
sullied, as this burnished gold. 

“ May it ever remind you that honor and 
virtue are still regarded as more precious than 
gain. 

“ Let me beg that no sense of modesty upon 
your part shall induce you to decline the gift 
so freely — ” 

At this point the speaker met with a singu- 
lar interruption. 

With a motion as swift as the snap of a 
steel trap, Tull’s powerful right hand swept 
the watch and chain from the grasp of the 
astonished Colonel just as he was hold- 
ing them aloft and in full view of the spec- 
tators. 

The fact was that Mr. Tull had not until 
that instant caught a fair glimpse of the 
promised gift. When, therefore, without a 
moment’s warning, he became conscious that 
his own much lamented time piece was 
dangling before his eyes and within easy 
reach of his hands, his impulse to resume its 
possession was simply irresistible. He gath- 
ered it in, much as a whirlwind might pick up 


A JUST REWARD 293 

a wliisp of straw which chances to lie along 
its course. 

The action was of too violent a character 
to be passed over unnoticed, and its effect 
upon the audience may be better imagined 
than described. For a moment there was a 
lull of astonishment. 

Colonel Strong did not understand the 
cause of the proceeding, but he instantly real- 
ized that the whole thing had been turned 
into a farce. He stepped quickly to the 
front of the platform, determined to make the 
best of the situation for himself. 

“ Gentlemen,” he said, with a bland smile, 
“ I am a stranger to the customs of your 
neighborhood, but I infer from what has just 
occurred that Mr. Tull accepts the gift. I 
bid you good-night.” 

No one could have been more amazed at 
Mr. Tull’s impulsive action than Mr. Tull 
himself the instant after it occurred. For a 
few seconds he stood gazing stupidly at the 
Colonel and then turned his eyes towards the 
watch that was still safe within his vice-like 
clutch. Moved by the natural desire to undo 
what he had just done, he followed the orator 
about the platform and endeavored to have 


294 


HARRY AMBLER 


him take back the watch and proceed with the 
delivery of his speech. 

The Colonel, however, who seemed to be in 
the best possible humor, was observed to wave 
his hand in polite refusal of the offer. A mo- 
ment later he slipped down from the platform 
and made his way towards the railway station. 

Mr. Tull now stepped to the front and 
began an explanation of the accident. It 
was too late. The audience had up to this 
point been restrained by curiosity, but it was 
evidently not curiosity to hear Mr. Tull. 
When he commenced his rather incoherent 
remarks he was greeted by a storm of 
applause. 

This was at first very gratifying, but he 
soon noticed a want of discrimination as to 
the points at which the applause came in. 
Finding his explanation rather laborious, he 
now turned his attention to the great ques- 
tion of temperance, and was again the recipi- 
ent of loud and almost constant applause. 
The crowd at this point developed such a 
degree of enthusiasm that it was simply im- 
possible to proceed, and Mr. Tull, with a 
rather sickly effort at imitating Colonel 
Strong’s graceful adieu, retreated from the 
platform, and the meeting adjourned. 


A JUST REWARD 


295 


Tull was not a man of very tender sensi- 
bilities, and yet his feelings, as he and Ned 
drove home from the meeting, were far from 
pleasant. The great demonstration, from 
which he had expected so much, had proven a 
mere exhibition of his own stupidity. 

He opened the Freenian's Record on the 
next Monday morning with the vague hope 
that, by some lucky chance, that journal might 
have failed to report the meeting. This was 
how it appeared in type : 

“As our readers are already informed, an 
eloquent gentleman from Philadelphia had 
promised to address the great political meet- 
ing held in Mountville on last Saturday even- 
ing, for the purpose of attempting to evade the 
recent serious charges of this journal against 
Mr. Jeremiah Tull, a candidate for the Legis- 
lature. Undaunted by the difficulty of his 
task, Colonel Strong came promptly to time, 
and entertained the vast audience for nearly 
an hour. We need scarcely add that the 
Colonel did not attempt to answer the charges. 

“ There was, however, an imposing piece of 
fireworks which the graceful Colonel touched 
off at the close of the meeting. A watch pre- 
sentation had been carefully arranged. Mr. 


HARRY AMBLER 


296 

Tull and tlie audience were to be taken 
entirely by surprise, and the whole thing was 
to figure as a voluntary tribute to a beloved 
citizen. 

“ For the purposes of the occasion a gold 
watch was absolutely necessary, and here, it 
seems, came the rub. 

“ Of course, nobody who was acquainted 
with Mr. Tull would contribute one cent 
towards such a purpose, and it was hardly 
practicable to beg the necessary amount from 
strangers. Yet the watch must be had. 

“ The candidate proved equal to the occa- 
sion. His old watch, bearing his initials, and 
beautifully burnished up for use by gas light, 
was brought into service, and it presented a 
most creditable appearance. 

“ Unfortunately, from the want of time, or 
through somebody’s oversight, the true situa- 
tion was not explained to Colonel Strong, and 
he doubtless believed that the whole thing 
was just what it pretended to be. As a 
result of this ignorance, the Colonel, during 
his complimentary remarks, exhibited the 
watch a little too freely to the audience — to 
many of whom it was an old acquaintance. 
The situation thus became embarrassing. 


A JUST REWARD 


297 


“At length Mr. Tull, being unable to 
longer endure the strain, took active measures 
to close the painful demonstration. This he 
accomplished by simply attacking the Colonel 
in the midst of his eloquent eulogy, and, 
after a short but sharp tussle, wrenching 
the watch from his grasp. This proceeding, 
although somewhat unusual, was exceedingly 
neat in its execution. 

“The explanation offered by Mr. Tull’s 
friend — that he had indulged too freely in 
the use of stimulants — is not sufficient for 
the occasion. While we do not feel called 
upon to deny that he was somewhat under the 
influence of liquor, we can by no means admit 
that he was unconscious of the nature of his 
actions. 

“ His own explanation is better than any 
other — in point of ingenuity. He frankly 
admits that the watch was really his own — 
which fact was indeed known to hundreds of 
those present at the meeting — but says that 
it was stolen from him some months ago, and 
that he had not seen it since, until it suddenly 
appeared in the hands of Colonel Strong. 

“What inferences Mr. Tull drew as to the 
character of the Colonel’s possession, is con- 


HARRY AMBLER 


298 

clusively shown from the very prompt manner 
in which he proceeded to retake his stolen 
property. We can only regret that the two 
gentlemen differ so widely in their opinions 
of each other.” 

It was impossible for Mr. Tull, in the few 
hours that remained before the election to 
make any favorable change in the popular 
current. The charges of disloyalty had turned 
the voters overwhelmingly against him, and 
his effort to change this result had now proven 
a ridiculous failure. 

As accidents rarely come singly, so in this 
case, the fact somehow leaked out that Mr. 
Tull, in reality, had nothing whatever to do 
with the new railroad which was already being 
built towards the Crossing. 

His political stock went down more rapidly 
than it had risen. We may as well say here 
that at the election Mr. Tull was defeated by 
his opponent by a vote of more than five to 
one. 


CHAPTER XXV 


FINDING JOCK 

TT is now time to return to our hero-. 

On the day appointed by Murray for im- 
parting his singular information, both boys 
again entered the station-house and awaited 
the officer’s arrival. When he saw them he 
laughed and invited them into the office. 

“Well, gents, I reckon I know what you’re 
after without any questions. To come to the 
point at once, if that little coon is in Phila- 
delphia and can travel around, he’ll be at one 
of two places at exactly twelve o’clock on the 
day after to-morrow. If he can travel fast 
enough he’ll be at both places inside of the 
hour. You see there’s a couple of gentlemen 
that every year give abig dinner just about this 
time to all the little ‘ shiners ’ and news-boys. 
They give them all the chicken that they can 
stuff, and I b’lieve for a fact that there aint a 
single darkey in the profession that don’t git 
there on time.” 


299 


300 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Where’s the dinner to be given ?” asked 
Carrol. 

“ There’ll be one out at Belmont, in the 
park, and the other will be at Dooner’s res- 
taurant.” 

“ Why didn’t you tell us that before ?” 

“ The time and place wasn’t fixed, and, of 
course, I didn’t know for sure that there would 
be any feed this year, but I believed there 
would, and there will be. I saw it in the 
paper yesterday.” 

The boys thanked the officer and departed, 
but they were both disappointed at the uncer- 
tain character of the information as to which 
so much had been promised. 

“ I don’t take much stock in that kind of a 
point,” said Carrol, in disgust. 

“ Nor I,” replied his companion, “ but I’m 
going to see it through, and I think there is at 
least a chance in it.” 

“ Well, I wish yoit luck, but what will you 
do if you find the boy? You can’t arrest 
him.” 

“ Of course not, and I wouldn’t if I could, 
for it wouldn’t help me any. I’ve got to make 
friends with him somehow and try to get him 
to tell me what became of that money. If I 


FINDING JQCK 301 

frighten him to begin with he’ll close up like 
an oyster.” 

“ Can I help you any in looking for him ?” 

“ I’m afraid not. You wouldn’t know liim 
if you saw him, so I guess that somehow I 
will have to get to both places.” 

This was the plan adopted by Harry, when 
the time came for action. He was early at 
the park and had an excellent view of the 
guests as they arrived. They were much 
more prompt than are those who frequent the 
more fashionable circles. Only a small pro- 
portion of the boys were colored, so their in- 
spection was not a matter requiring any very 
great length of time. Jock was most assuredly 
not among them. 

The situation was one which demanded 
rapid transit, and Harry very sensibly took a 
hack and gave directions to reach Dooner’s 
restaurant as quickly as possible. Upon his 
arrival he found that things there had assumed 
a degree of activity which promised a, speedy 
termination to the feast. 

There were probably fifty colored boys in 
the room. Each of the guests had been 
plentifully helped to chicken, and was not just 
then giving much attention to matters of 


302 


HARRY AMBLER 


minor importance. Knives and forks were in 
no great demand, and Harry realized that it 
would be very difficult to recognize even 
familiar features, when each face was to a 
great extent concealed behind a large frag- 
ment of roast fowl. He was obliged to make 
the most of the intervals between bites. 

He had passed almost around the room 
without finding any face that answered the 
description that still remained in his memory, 
when he suddenly found himself within arm’s 
length of the very object of his search. 

The runaway happened to be looking at 
him “ wid de side ob his face,” as Marm would 
have said — so Harry only caught sight of his 
profile. Just at the moment, Jock was engaged 
in the engrossing effort of trying to get his 
teeth into the concave portion of a chicken’s 
back-bone. The next second he decided that 
the shortest way was the best, and inserted a 
finger into the cavity and brought out the 
tender morsel. 

So the dusky little fugitive, whom Tull’s 
boisterous threats had driven from his humble 
home on Rab’s Run was at length found at 
one of the first restaurants of the city, dining 
on the fat of the land. 


FINDING JOCK 


3°3 


There was a pinched look about the face, how- 
ever, which suggested that it was not always 
so well with him, and at this, the very moment 
of his success Harry felt the absurdity of 
supposing that the small waif before him 
could possibly possess the large sum of money 
for which he was seeking. 

While our hero had no fear of recognition, 
he had determined to be exceedingly cautious 
as to the manner of making the boy’s ac- 
quaintance. His hope for information de- 
pended entirely upon making a favorable im- 
pression in the first instance. His first pur- 
pose was to learn where Jock lived. 

But few of the bootblacks had brought 
their implements of business to the feast, and 
Harry thought that by following and watch- 
ing Jock when he was preparing to resume 
the practice of his profession, he would be 
able to discover his home. The idea proved 
to be correct', and he soon had the satisfaction 
of seeing the boy enter a dilapidated old house 
on Wood Street near Tenth, from which he 
shortly emerged with his box slung by its 
strap from his shoulder. 

Thinking that Jock might possibly recog- 
nize him as one of the persons who had just 


3°4 


HARRY AMBLER 


witnessed the dinner, and therefore be suspi- 
cions that he had followed him for the purpose 
of forcing his acquaintance, Harry decided to 
await a more favorable chance for an intro- 
duction. As, however, his only business at 
present was this very matter of getting upon 
good terms with his suspected friend, he did 
not indulge in any unnecessary delay. 

Upon that same evening after having his 
supper he sauntered up towards the house 
from which he had seen Jock come out. He 
was too early by an hour, but as he was not 
in an impatient mood, he passed the time in 
leisurely walking about the neighborhood, re- 
turning frequently to have a sight of the 
house. 

It was between nine and ten o’clock when 
the expected form was seen strolling up Tenth 
Street towards Wood. Here he turned in and 
Harry, who was some distance behind him, 
expected that he would at once disappear for 
the night. 

For some reason of his own, however, Jock 
at the last moment concluded that it was 
too early to retire, and, turning from the door 
of the house, he wandered still farther up 
Tenth Street to Ridge Avenue. The more 


FINDING JOCK 


305 


brilliant store windows of this thoroughfare 
seemed to invite his attention, and he turned 
up the avenue. 

His guardian followed slowly, keeping on 
the other side of the street, but having his 
charge always in view. He was just trying to 
decide upon his next move when an accident 
afforded him the opportunity which he so 
anxiously desired. 

Jock had stopped in front of a candy store, 
whose window was loaded with attractive 
sweetmeats. He shifted his box to his left 
shoulder, and, shoving his remnant of a hat 
over on the left side of his head, he stood there 
scratching his wool with his right hand, and 
wondering how much candy went for a nickel. 

As he stood there gazing upon the inviting 
prospect before him, a youth somewhat older 
than Harry, came rapidly down the avenue 
swinging a small cane and smoking a cigar. 
He had taken the cigar from his mouth to 
knock the accumulated ashes from the lighted 
end. Just then he chanced to notice the 
rather odd little figure at the store window he 
was passing. The bootblack’s elevated arm 
exhibited a hole in the sleeve through which 
the black skin gleamed in the gaslight. 

20 


3 o6 


HARRY AMBLER 


Scarcely checking his steps, the youth held 
his cigar over the exposed spot, and, touching 
the ash with his little finger, dropped it upon 
the sable, but nevertheless living flesh. There 
must have been some spark of fire carried 
with the ashes, for an instant yell of pain and 
wrath responded to the act. 

Turning upon his tormentor, Jock delivered 
a kick upon the shins that at once took all of 
the fun out of the situation. The white boy, 
dropping his cigar, grabbed the bootblack by 
the throat. Raising his cane, he would un- 
doubtedly have administered a sound thrash- 
ing upon the spot had not our hero crossed the 
street and interfered in time to prevent any 
further violence. 

Grasping the boy’s wrist, Harry forced him 
to loosen his hold on the tender little throat, 
and gave him a push that served as a satis- 
factory sample of what was to come, if mat- 
ters were pressed. The boy, either fearing to 
risk the fortunes of war, or possibly realizing 
that he was in the wrong, made no further 
demonstration but moved off down the avenue. 

Picking up the box that had fallen to the 
ground, Harry spoke as carelessly as he 
could. 


FINDING JOCK 3 °7 

“ Come here, Caesar. Did he pinch you 
much ?” 

“ My name aint dat ’are, an’ he didn’ pinch 
me at all. He burnded me wid dat cigar.” 

As he spoke, Jock kicked the cigar off of 
the sidewalk into the gutter. 

“ Burned you, did he? Well, that’s worse 
yet,” and Harry showed increased interest in 
the wounded arm. 

“ That’s quite a burn. Come in here and 
we’ll see what we can do for it.” 

Harry opened the door of a drug-store, and 
Jock, still guarding the sore spot with his 
hand, followed him in. 

“ Golly, but dat am hot,” said the little 
sufferer as the druggist examined the blister. 

“ Oh, I’ll fix that all right in a half a min- 
ute,” and he proceeded to mix a soothing 
lotion. 

When he reappeared, Jock looked upon the 
application which he had prepared with some 
concern. 

“ Yer don’t be gwine ter burn dat no more, 
does yer ?” 

“Of course not. What makes you ask 
that?” 

“ Oneob de boys got bit wid a dog, and de 


HARRY AMBLER 


308 ' 

doctor he took and burned de place worser 
dan it war befoah.” 

“ Oh, I see. Well, how’s that strike you ?” 
and the druggist poured the lotion upon a 
piece of cotton and applied it to the arm. 

The effect was instantaneous and Jock’s face 
expressed his astonishment and comfort. 

“ I hope ter die dis berry minit ef dat are 
arm don’ feel better dan afore it war burnded. 
Dat am de truf.” 

Harry paid the bill and the new friends left 
the drug-store and turned down the avenue. 

“ What were you looking at when that fel- 
low touched you off with his cigar ?” asked 
Harry. 

“ Right in heah, sah. Dis am de berry 
same window, an’ I was jes’ ’zactly lookin’ at 
dat ’are chok’late — ” 

“ Oh, you needn’t take the trouble to point 
out the exact piece of candy.” 

“ Oh, dat am no trouble ter me, sah, I likes 
to do it. An’ den you was berry kind to me, 
an’ I’s mighty glad to do you a favah. I was 
jes’ a-lookin’ at dat box a chok’late in de cor- 
ner, I remember dat jes’ ’zactly zif nothin’ hab 
happen.” 

“ That chocolate don’t look very good, does 
it?” 


FINDING JOCK 309 

“ It look mighty good ter me, sah, I kin 
tell yer dat.” 

“ It aint healthy, I’m afraid,” said Harry, 
with very great seriousness. 

“ I liab kuo’d a good many boys what ate 
dat kind ob candy, an’ dey am all doin’ berry 
well, sah.” 

Harry entered the store and cemented the 
friendship that had so easily been established 
by purchasing the box of candy. He was 
wise enough to deal it out in small quantities. 

“ What did you say your name is ?” asked 
Harry, presently. 

“ It am Jock, sah, an’ I’se a bootblack. Don’t 
yer want a shine ?” 

“ Yes, if you’ll come around to my room 
early to-morrow morning, I’d be glad to have 
a shine, and I guess I’ll keep the rest of this 
candy till you come.” 

“All right, sah. I’ll be dar suah. Where 
am your house ?” 

Harry very readily gave Jock his address, 
and the two singular companions separated, 
well pleased at having made each other’s ac- 
quaintance. 

Our hero experienced a short season of 
doubt the next morning as to whether his 


3 IQ 


HARRY AMBLER 


companion of the evening before would keep 
his word. His doubts were, however, of short 
duration, for Jock’s footsteps were soon clearly 
audible as he stumped his way up the bare 
stairs. 

“ Well, Jock, how are you this morning ? 
I wasn’t quite sure that I’d see you again.” 

“ Fer why not, sah ?” 

“ Oh, you see I didn’t know whether you’d 
come or not.” 

“ Oh, yes, sah. Bootblacks an’ news-boys 
mos’ al’ays comes when dey says so, but some- 
times de gen’lmen aint at de place when dey 
say. De bootblack am de suahest, sah.” 

Harry couldn’t help wondering whether or 
not this charge against polite society was well 
founded. Whether good people do not some- 
times measure the value of their own prom- 
ises more by the social standing of the other 
person than by their own sense of truth. He 
was not at an age to spend much time in 
thinking on such questions, yet he fixed the 
little bootblack’s comment in his mind, and in 
after years it came to help him to avoid the 
danger in his own case. 

When Jock had finished his task, Harry 
paid him for the shine and was a little at a 


FINDING JOCK 3II 

loss to know why the boy did not seem ready 
to depart. 

“ How’s that burn this morning ?” he asked 
by way of sociability. 

“ Oh, dat am all right, sah. Dat candy war 
mos’ pow’rful good fer de burn, sah.” 

“ Oh, by the way,” replied Harry, his 
memory being effectually jogged by the ref- 
erence. 

Jock was soon made happy with the remain- 
ing candy, and after promising to come again 
each morning, he departed. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


jock’s REVELATION 
need not follow the various steps by 



’’ which Harry and Jock became more 
and more confidential. We may say, how- 
ever, that our hero had managed to increase 
the boy’s confidence by incidentally letting 
him know that he was also a stranger in Phila- 
delphia. Then, as if by accident, he let it be 
known that he had acquaintances and friends 
in the neighborhood of Mountville. 

All this was done in such a way as not to 
seem to have any relation to Jock. It all came 
about so naturally that, instead of alarming 
the boy, it led him to speak very freely of his 
.having lived in that neighborhood himself, 
and he soon showed an entire willingness to 
talk of the place. He had not, however, yet 
spoken of anything to the particular point 
that was always in Harry’s mind. 

This was the situation when, one morning, 
Jock was surprised as he ascended the stairs 


312 


jock’s revelation 3 i 3 

to hear Harry indulging in a boisterous fit of 
laughter. While our hero was usually good 
natured, he rarely ventured upon such a 
demonstration as now greeted Jock’s ears. 

Cautiously poking his head into the loom, 
the boy looked around for some visible cause 
for the excitement. There was none. Every- 
thing was dull and orderly. Harry was sit- 
ting by the window reading a newspaper — 
without illustrations. Of course, the paper 
couldn’t be the source of his amusement. 

The fact was that Harry was just reading 
the Freeman's Record , which Tom Tabor had 
sent to him. It contained the account of 
the meeting at Mountville. Tom’s letter, of 
course, explained how Colonel Strong had 
been supplied with the watch, and taking it 
altogether Harry was excusable for his hilarity. 
He had already received and read the paper 
containing the charges of Mrs. Cobb, which 
had led to the particular demonstration in 
favor of Mr. Tull. 

“Wat de mattah ? Got nuffin’ stuck in yer 
froat, hab yer?” queried Jock, with assumed 
alarm. 

“ Only a bone or two, Jock. But I guess 
I’ll let them stay for the present,” replied 


HARRY AMBLER 


3 X 4 

Harry, anxious to adapt himself as much as 
possible to his companion’s humor. 

Harry now resumed his reading, while Jock 
arranged his “ plant,” and set to work. As he 
became absorbed in the Record's account of 
the meeting, Harry forgot the boy at his feet, 
and again indulged in a hearty laugh. 

At length he finished the article, and fold- 
ing the paper he involuntarily asked the same 
question which had already been propounded 
by Mr. Tull. 

“Who on earth is Mrs. Susannah Cobb?” . 

“Wat’s dat’ ’are you’se sayin’ ?” demanded 
Jock quickly, dropping his brush in surprise. 

“Who is Mrs. Susannah Cobb ?” repeated 
the other, amused at Jock’s alertness. “ She’s 
a lady who lives somewhere out towards 
Mountville, but it can’t be very near, or I’d 
have heard of her myself. I think it’s likely 
that you are not acquainted with her, Jock.” 

“An’ I tink it am berry lik’ly dat I knows 
dat person berry well, — berry well, indeed, sar. 
Say, boss,” asked the boy with sudden in- 
terest, with a little touch of anxiety, “ she 
don’ gone come to dis ’ere town, do she ?” 

“ No, she hasn’t come to town, but I guess 
somebody would have been glad if she had. 
She’s kicked up a mighty lively row at home.” 


jock’s REVELATION 315 

“ Marm gon’ an’ kick’d up a row ? Tell 
me all ’bout dat ’are.” 

Harry gave a long whistle, as he learned 
for the first time that the new power in 
politics that had so stirred up matters about 
the Crossing, was his old acquaintance and 
customer — Marm. He was glad to comply 
with Jock’s request, and patiently read, and 
tried to explain to him the articles in the 
Record. 

“ You see, Jock, this Mrs. Susannah Cobb — ” 

“Jes’ call her Marm, Massa Harry, and 
den I’ll know who yon means right off, widout 
habbin’ to think her ober ebbry time.” 

“Well, then, Marm, told a newspaper man 
that Mr. Tull — he’s a man that lives at Tull’s 
Crossing — that he used to be a rebel' during 
the war, and the newspaper man printed it all 
out in his paper, and that made the row.” 

“Well, wat about dat? S’pose he war a 
rebel, dey don’t be cotchin’ rebels any mo’ 
now, be dey ?” asked the boy, showing an in- 
clination to sift the matter to the bottom. 

“No, it isn’t that. But Mr. Tull wants to 
be elected to the Legislature, and if he was a 
rebel the people won’t vote for him. Don’t 
you see ?” 


3 l6 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Reckon I don’t know muck ’bout dat ’are, 
but I knows all ’bout Marm Cobb — I does fer 
suah.” 

A moment later lie asked again, “ How 
Marm fin’ out all dat ’bout Massa Tull ? Dat’s 
wat I’d like to know.” 

“That’s more than I can tell you, Jock. 
She lived down South, I believe, and I guess 
she knew all about it, herself.’’ 

‘‘ Nebber heard her say dat ’are ’bout Massa 
Tull afore, nebber,” persisted Jock, with a 
doubtful shake of the head. 

“Well, I don’t know much about it myself, 
except just what I see in the paper. She 
says she has the documents to prove it.” 

“Wat’s dem?” 

“ Documents ? Why, that means some kind 
of writing, perhaps letters.” 

“ Marm can read writin’, dat am de fac\” 

*• 

admitted the boy in confirmation of her claim. 

“Has Marm got much money?” asked 
Harry, thinking it a favorable chance to 
approach the subject which was of such in- 
terest to himself. 

“Lots ob it,” replied Jock, pi'omptly. 
“Marm’s got mor’n three dollars hided away 
in de stump.” 


jock’s revelation 3 x 7 

“ How’d she happen to let you know where 
she kept it ?” 

“ Oh, I jes’ happen’d to watch her when she 
was a puttin’ ob it in. She keeps a good 
many tings in dat ches’nut stump. Guess 
when Marin die she’ll crawl in dat stump her 
own selb.” 

“Why don’t you go back to Marm? Didn’t 
she treat you well ?” 

“ Oh, yes, she war mighty kin’ to me mos’ 
ob de time. Sometimes she miss de cole meat, 
or somefin’ like dat, an’ den she war a’mos’ 
suah that I took it, when it might hab been 
de cat. She trus’ dat cat mor’n she did Jock 
around de cupboard ; dat war all I got ag’in 
Marm.” 

“Well, don’t you feel as if you’d like to go 
back and see her ? The cat may be dead by 
this time, you know.” 

“ I aint right suah dat dat would help it 
any. I rather ’spect she’d lay it on to me, if 
anythin’ was gon’, ebben if the cat war dead.” 

“ Perhaps nothing would be missing any 
more.” 

“Well, I don’ know ’bout dat, sah, ’fraid 
dey might be. Massa Harry,” asked the boy 
in a more serious tone, “ wat war dat agin, 


3x8 


HARRY AMBLER 


dat Marm says slxe hab dat shows ’bout Mr. 
Tull?” 

“ I don’t remember. Oh, ‘ documents.’ Was 
that it ?” 

“ Dat am it. Now, how Marm ebber got 
any ob dem, I don’ know.” 

“ Oh, that’s easy enough. They be some 
old newspapers or letters. Anything that’s 
written or printed.” 

“ You wouldn’t call dem dat if dey was 
tore clean in two wou’d yer ? All de way 
across de middle ?” 

“Why, I don’t know exactly what you 
mean. What, torn clean in two ?” said Harry, 
in real perplexity. 

“Why, sail, ef dat paper war tore right in 
two pieces, so’s it warn’t no good for nothin’, 
den it wouldn’t be a doc’ament no more, would 
it?” 

“ Oh, yes, if.anybody could read it.” 

“ Den, sail,” said Jock, with great delibera- 
tion, “ dat ’are war my doc’ament ’bout Massa 
Tull ; it war, jes’ as suah as you’re libbin’.” 

“Well, what difference would it make?” 
asked Harry, amused at the boy’s earnestness. 

“ It make a hull lot ob difference. ’Stead 
ob dat paper habiu’ Mrs. Susannah Cobb, 


jock’s REVELATION 319 

dey’d say dat de doc’ament belonged to John 
Calhoun Beamis — dat’s de holl name ob me, 
sah.” 

Harry could scarcely believe that the boy 
was in earnest, but a glance at the serious 
little face convinced him on that point. The 
account which he had just heard, and the 
dignified references to Mrs. Cobb, had im- 
pressed the boy with the importance of the 
matter, and he felt certain once again that he 
had been robbed of his proper fame. 

“Why, Jock, you aint old enough to re- 
member anything about the war. How did 
you get hold of any such valuable docu- 
ments ?” 

“ I was ol’ ’nough to fish dem out ob de 
crick — de bof ob dem. Marm nebber could 
liab done that — nebber.” 

“ They can’t be of much value, Jock, if they 
were in the creek. Very likely somebody 
threw them away.” 

“ Berry likely, indeed, sah, fer I seed him 
doit.” 

“ Then you ought to know that they are 
not very valuable.” 

“ Dey was gibbin’ him a pow’ful sight ob 
trouble, ’fore he frow’d dem away ; I knows 


3 2 ° 


HARRY AMBLER 


dat, sail. Firs’ lie tried to put dem in his 
pocket, an’ den lie tried to burn dem, an’ den 
lie tor’d dem clean in two and frow’d dem into 
de Run. Den I jes’ fished dem out — de bof 
ob dem.” 

“ Why, who was it, and when was it ?” 
asked our hero, becoming decidedly interested, 
as the narrative became more particular in its 
character. 

“ Dat, I don’ know fer reel suah, but I’m 
mos’ tink it war dat same man you jes’ been 
readin’ ’bout — dat Massa Tull.” 

Harry was attentive enough now. 

“ When was this, Jock ; can’t you remember 
the day ?” 

His questioner had arisen now, and, uncon- 
sciously to himself, was grasping Jock tightly 
by the shoulder. Under some circumstances 
this might have alarmed the boy, but as it 
was he hardly noticed it. 

“ Yes, sah, easy ’nough to remember dat 
day. Dat day I foun’ a drown man in de 
crick. I neber will forget dat.” 

“Where did Tull get the paper?” asked 
Harry, faintly. 

“ I neber seed him git it, but I knows most 


jock’s revelation 321 

fer suali dat lie took it out ob de udder man’s 
pocket.” 

Harry fell heavily back in the chair from 
which he had risen. In an instant the whole 
truth, which he had . never before even sus- 
pected, flashed upon him. He had never had 
the least knowledge or suspicion of Tull’s visit 
to the Run on the morning of the fatal dis- 
covery. Had he been aware of that fact, he 
might have suspected what had become of the 
money, but it is quite possible that he would 
not have done so even then. Although he 
always had but a poor opinion of Mr. Tull’s 
honesty, he would not have been prepared 
to lay at his door such a deliberate and cow- 
ardly crime as this. 

He understood plainly enough now how it 
was that Jock had never shown any signs of 
wealth. 

For several minutes he sat pale and trem- 
bling, overwhelmed by the flood of light that 
had so suddenly fallen upon him. His com- 
panion seeing how much he was troubled, 
made the best guess that was possible as to 
the cause. He was sitting upon his box, which 
he had converted into a chair by standing it 
upon end. Looking up into Harry’s face, he 


21 


322 


HARRY AMBLER 


spoke with a sympathy, which, when it comes 
from the heart, is always welcome, whether it 
is offered by bootblack or prince. 

“ Massa Harry, war dat drown man your 
own fader?” 


CHAPTER XXVII 
marm’s visitor 



Harry had rallied from the first 


* * sudden shock of this revelation, he 
went quietly over the whole matter with Jock, 
and learned of the various circumstances 
which have already been made known to the 
reader. When he considered the character of 
TulPs action, he very easily understood why 
the latter had found the presence of the 
Ambler family so disagreeable. 

He had no doubt in his own mind as to the 
fact that his father had actually bought and 
paid for the little farm, and received the deed, 
and that after his death he had been robbed 
of the deed, by the very man who had sold 
him the land and received the money. Harry 
was wise enough to know that there was a 
wide difference between being sure of the fact 
himself and being able to produce evidence 
that would convince a jury, if it became neces- 
sary. 


323 


324 


HARRY AMBLER 


He also knew that the mere fact that the 
deed had been torn in two would not at all 
destroy its value if he could only obtain pos- 
session of it. That, then, was the next thing 
to be done. 

He questioned Jock very closely as to what 
Mann would be likely to do with such a piece 
of property. Jock’s opinion was most em- 
phatic that the document would be deposited 
in the “ old ches’nut stump.” 

Fortunately our hero was so situated that he 
could set out upon this most important mis- 
sion at once. He realized, however, that Jock 
was absolutely necessary to his success. With 
no one to point out the “ old ches’nnt stump,” 
he might as well remain in Philadelphia. 

Jock’s affairs were not quite so easily ad- 
justed. He found it hard to abandon a busi- 
ness which had been established by close ap- 
plication and sleepless vigilance. Bven after 
it was all settled, Jock showed signs of waver- 
ing as he saw one of his active competitors 
plant his box at the feet of one of his own 
regular customers. 

Again, the boy was not yet free from the 
fear of being “ apperhended ” by the sheriff if 
he returned to the neighborhood of Mount- 


marm’s visitor 


325 

ville. When Harry understood the cause of 
his fear, he soon set him at rest. 

Under it all, however, and perhaps the 
most powerful of all arguments in favor of 
going back, was the fact that Jock was really 
homesick. Marm’s occasional fits of bad tem- 
per had never led her to any acts of cruelty 
that remained in his mind. 

He therefore agreed to go if arrangements 
could be made for resuming his business 
promptly, if he desired to return to Phila- 
delphia. This was done by getting Carrol to 
take charge of his “ machin’ry,” as Jock 
termed his outfit, during his absence. 

The weather was almost wintry now, and 
Harry bought his traveling companion a 
serviceable suit of clothes, which had the 
effect of a disguise, as well as a protection 
against the cold. 

All of this was accomplished within twelve 
hours after the conversation which had shown 
our hero the true state of affairs. The very 
next morning found the two singular travelers 
seated in a train that was carrying them to 
Mountville at the rate of twenty miles an 
hour. 

Even at this speed it will require several 


326 


HARRY AMBLER 


hours to reach their journey’s end, and we 
may find it interesting to once more glance at 
affairs at the Crossing before they arrive. 

While there had been no sudden changes in 
the circumstances of the people of our ac- 
quaintance, there had been a natural progress 
of events. 

The lamp-shade industry had been about 
exhausted, and the occasional little sums of 
money which had come from this source had 
now ceased. Mrs. Ambler and Nellie were still 
at the mill, and were as welcome as ever, but 
they could not help feeling that their prospect 
was certainly not becoming brighter with the 
passing days. 

It is to be remembered that Harry had not 
informed them of the reward which he had 
received, and their last letters told that he 
had lost his position with Shores & Co. As 
he sent no money, they naturally supposed 
that he had none to spare. 

Of coui'se they had not the slightest dream 
of his startling discovery narrated in the last 
chapter. 

Mr. Conner’s prospects were even more dis- 
couraging. Mr. Tull’s political defeat had at 


marm’s visitor 


327 


once increased his bitterness towards his ene- 
mies and left him at leisure to work Out their 
punishment. He was now successfully pursu- 
ing the advantage which he had obtained by 
his new machinery. 

While this had not resulted in the sudden 
loss of all his business, Mr. Conner clearly 
saw that it would certainly bring disaster in a 
very few months. 

The Tull mill was undeniably turning out 
the better quality of flour, and it was only a 
question of a little time when this would be 
generally understood. 

Taking all things into consideration, there- 
fore, it was not a very cheerful group that 
gathered about the miller’s supper-table upon 
the evening of the day that our hero, accom- 
panied by Jock, started from Philadelphia, 
bound for Mountville, the “ ole ches’nut 
stump,” and home. 

To deepen their gloom the sky had clouded 
over in the afternoon, and there was every 
symptom of an early snow-storm. 

To Mr. Tull the misfortunes of the mill at 
the Falls were, of course, very welcome. Since 
the election he had set to work to “ grind up 
the old Scotchman,” as he expressed it,, and, 


HARRY AMBLER 


328 

as we have seen, he was meeting with ample 
success. His gratification at being able to 
lay a heavy hand upon Mr. Conner went 
very far towards making up for his disap- 
pointment in politics. 

There was still one matter connected with 
the late contest which he fully intended to in- 
vestigate. 

On the afternoon of the election day, when 
it was too late to make use of the information, 
the editor of the Freeman ' 1 s Record had pub- 
licly disclosed the identity of Mrs. Cobb. 
He had done this in a most casual manner, 
as if indeed it had never been a secret, yet it 
was a genuine surprise to Tull. 

When he remembered how he had fright- 
ened the old woman with his threats of pun- 
ishment to Jock, he suspected that she had 
taken this election as a convenient occasion 
for balancing accounts with him. Yet she 
certainly was not intelligent enough to have 
invented the plan without assistance. Then 
as to the “ documents ” which had been so 
often mentioned. How about them ? 

He made up his mind to wait a short time 
until the political excitement was over and 
then to sift the thing to the bottom. 


marm’s visitor 


329 


So it came about that while Harry was 
quietly reading his newspaper and Jock was 
admiring himself in the looking-glass which 
adorned the side of the car, Mr. Tull was tying 
his horse to a convenient stump near the door 
of the little cabin on Rab’s Run. 

The proprietress was just then engaged in 
wringing out a washing. As she had no great 
affection for her visitor, she did not permit the 
pleasure of his company to interfere with her 
business. She continued her occupation dur- 
ing the conversation which followed. 

Mr. Tull knew that nothing could be gained 
at the present time by threats, so he adopted 
his most persuasive manner. 

“ Good mornin’, ma’am. It’s a little cold to 
be washin’ out out o’ doors, aint it ?” 

“ Mornin’ to you, sail. We all gits lef’ out 
in der cold sometimes, don’ we, sail ?” re- 
sponded Marm, with a shrewd glance at her 
visitor. 

“ Oh, you know who I be, do you ? I wasn’t 
sure as you knowd me,” responded Mr. Tull. 
He didn’t particularly relish this prompt ref- 
erence to his own defeat at the election, espe- 
cially as it came from the very one who had 
“ lef’ ” him out in the cold. 


330 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Yes, sail ; I liab de ’streme pleasure of 
kuowin’ you. You corned hyar ouct ter see 
’bout my Jock.” 

“ That’s a fact. Did you ever see that boy 
afterwards ?” 

“ No, sah. Did yer eber happeu to catch 
him yer ownself?” 

“ No, I never did. The fact is, Mrs. Cobb,” 
Mr. Tull became confidential, “ it kind o’ 
seemed to me that day that you didn’t want 
the boy caught, so I jes’ told the other men 
not to bother about it.” 

“ Dat were termengus kind ob you, sah. I 
guess I neber forget dat fabor.” 

Mr. Tull thought there was something a 
little suspicious in the old woman’s tone, but 
as he looked at her, she was proceeding to 
wring the last drop of water from the garment 
in her hands in a way that convinced him that 
she was surely very much in earnest. 

“Am der anyfing I kin do fer you dis morn- 
in’, sah ?” 

She shook out the piece of linen and tossed 
it' across the line as she put the question. 

“ Oh, no. I jus’ happened to be ridin’ down 
along the Run, an’ I thought I’d stop an’ see 
you, that was all.” 


m arm’s visitor 331 

“ Yes, sail. I thought p’rhaps you was 
goin’ to change yo’ washerwoman. I kin wash 
’em pretty clean, sail. Ise been a long time 
in dis hyar business.” 

“ I’ll remember you if I do. By the way, 
Mrs. Cobb, aint you the person the Record 
talked so much about before the election ; that 
knew so much about me ?” 

“ Yes, sah ; I am dat lady. So you heered 
’bout dat, did yer ?” 

u Well, I reckon I did,” responded Tull, 
with some evidences of growing wrath. 

The next second he realized that he must 
continue to be agreeable if he hoped to get 
any favors from the old woman. He would 
have liked to held her head in her own 
tub of soap-suds until old scores were wiped 
out, but that would not have solved the prob- 
lem which he had 011 hand. 

“ Wall, I aint much complaint to make 
’bout politics, but I’d like mighty well to see 
that document the Record said so much 
about.” 

“ Dat’s private, dat is. Won’t show dat 
docament to nobody.” 

“ Oh, wall, of course, it’s your matter an’ 
not mine. I only thought I be willing to give 


332 


HARRY AMBLER 


a dollar or two just to have a look at the 
thing.” 

This casual mention of a possible profit to 
herself did not fail to produce its effect upon 
Marm. She made no immediate reply but 
continued to hang out her washing. Presently 
she spoke again. 

“ Dat was berry kind ob you, sah, to took 
sich trouble fer dat boy Jock, an’ jes’ fer dat 
I b’lieve I’d let yer look at dat docament, fer 
only five dollahs if it war right so’s I could 
git hold obit. I re’lly b’lieve I would, sah, 
fer suah.” 

“ Why, you haven’t lost it, have you ?” 
asked Tull in real concern. 

“ Oh, no, sah, it’s all right. But it aint 
berry close to hyar, sah, dat’s all.” 

“How soon could you git it?” inquired Tull. 

“ kook hyar, Massa Tull, you don’t mean 
fer to run away wid it, does you ?” asked 
Marm, with a sudden air of suspicion. 

“ No, of course not. All I want is just to 
read it over.” 

“ Well, sah, I b’lieve I could hab dat ’are 
docament right in dat house dare by eight 
o’clock dis berry night. Re’lly b’lieve dat 
could be done, sah.” 


marm’s visitor 


333 

“You couldn’t do it any sooner? You 
couldn’t do it now, could you ?” - 

“ Oh, laws, no, sail. Couldn’t possible. 
Not no way, sail.” 

“ Wall, then you make it a p’int to have it 
here by a quarter arter eight to-night. Here’s 
a dollar to help you to remember it, and I’ll 
give you four more just like it when I see the 
paper.” 

“ Yes, sah. Thank you, sah. Will I git 
de money jes’ afore, or jes’ arter, you’se seed 
de paper? Sometimes dat do make a dif’rence, 
sah.” 

“ Oh, that’ll be all right. I’ll pay you be- 
fore if you want it, only don’t forget to have 
the paper.” 

“ I’ll hab it hyar fer suah, sah.” 

Marm’s manner was so decided that Tull 
understood her promise to be absolute, so bid- 
ding her good-bye, he mounted his horse and 
rode off. 

“ I kind o’ reckon I know how to manage 
the female sex, anyhow. The old hen wasn’t 
so hard to handle as I was afeared. What on 
arth has she got hold of, with my name in it ? 
Like as not it’s an old election poster. Wall, 
I’ll know to-night, anyway,” 


334 


HARRY AMBLER 


When the horseman was out of sight, the 
old colored woman proceeded to dry her hands 
upon her apron as a preparation for a full 
expression of her views. 

“ Wonder wat’s de matter wid dat man. 
Why him take so much trouble to pertend he 
jus’ come ober ter see me, when he come jus’ 
to see dat paper. 

“ Guess ef it am worf five dollahs a look, 
I’d better liab dat paper put in a glass case, 
and den I’ll trabble ’round wid it, like I was 
Missus Barnum. 

“ If he tries any ob his tricks about carry- 
in’ of de paper away, der’ll be a site ob tr’uble 
dis berry night, I kin tell yer dat.” 

After biting the silver dollar to make sure 
of its character, she put it back in her pocket 
and resumed her occupation. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


AT LAST 

TTPON reflection Harry decided tliat it 
^ would be wise to keep the return of 
himself aud Jock entirely secret, at least un- 
til after they had examined the old stump, as 
to the contents of which they were now so 
hopeful. With this purpose in view, they left 
the cars at the first station below Mountville, 
and traveled slowly along the road which led 
towards Rab’s Run. 

They regulated their steps so as to reach the 
neighborhood of the cabin at about dusk. 
The suu was obscured by clouds aud the air 
* felt very much as if a snow-storm was at 
hand. 

When the travelers reached the woods, 
Jock became the guide. He knew the locality 
almost by inches. 

Instead of going directly to the cabin, he 
led Harry to a point which must have been an 
eighth of a mile from the house. Here he ap- 

335 


HARRY AMBLER 


336 

proached a clump of young trees and brambles 
which together formed a dense spot of, pos- 
sibly, a hundred feet in diameter. 

After walking partly around this spot, Jock 
discovered the entrance for which he was in 
search. Leaving Harry seated on a log be- 
hind one of the larger trees, the colored boy 
cautiously pushed the brambles aside, and 
proceeded along the obscure pathway towards 
the stump, which he knew was in the middle 
of this little thicket. 

Harry could distinctly hear the twigs snap- 
ping beneath Jock’s footsteps as he proceeded 
upon his short journey. When the sounds 
ceased he felt as if a very important point had 
been reached. He knew that the boy must be 
examining Mann’s treasure house, and he re- 
flected that even at that moment the precious 
deed was probably in his hands. 

He awaited impatiently the renewal of the* 
sound which would indicate that the outward 
journey had begun. 

As he sat motionless, occupied with these 
thoughts, he was suddenly startled by an 
apparition. It was not at all like the 
ghosts of which we read. Instead of pos- 
sessing the light and airy qualities belonging 


AT TAST 337 

to that family, it was very substantial and very 
black. 

It had approached the thicket, however, 
with such caution that Harry saw nothing of 
it until it was immediately in front of the en- 
trance into which Jock had glided not five 
minutes before. 

Our hero had scarcely time to collect his 
thoughts when the new arrival also entered 
the thicket and disappeared from sight. The 
sounds of footsteps were again audible, and 
led directly towards the centre of the thicket. 

Harry now hastened to the mouth of the 
pathway and listened. 

Suddenly he heard some exclamation of 
alarmed surprise, then a dull, heavy sound 
such as is sometimes produced by striking the 
open hand against a ripe watermelon. 

Then came a yell which would have done 
credit to the most vigorous of cats — only, no 
cat ever succeeded in executing such a re- 
markable trill as issued from the thicket. 
It was evident that the body from which the 
noise proceeded was in a state of violent 
motion. 

The sounds of angry reproach and earnest 
expostulation were now heard, and these in 
22 


33 § 


HARRY AMBLER 


turn were succeeded by tbe noise of human 
footsteps. 

The procession was evidently in motion, 
and Harry at once returned to his station 
behind the tree. 

Presently the forms of Jock and Marm 
emerged from the path. Harm's right hand 
grasped her prisoner’s right ear and so much 
of his woolly hair as went to make up a hand- 
ful. It w r as clear that her first hasty hold had 
proven entirely satisfactory — to herself — for 
she had not relaxed it. 

She kept her prisoner directly in front of 
her, and nearly at arm’s length. In her left 
hand she carried a package, whose form Harry 
was not able to make out, but his imagination 
assured him of its character. 

He could hear enough of the conversation 
to know that Jock had been recognized, but 
he dared not follow close enough to hear 
all that was said. The march was a brisk one, 
and the colored woman had soon deposited her 
prisoner in a place of safety. 

She had scarcely entered the house when 
Harry approached the window. A pane of 
glass was missing, so that he w T as able to hear, 
as well as see, what took place within. 


AT LAST 


339 

The lamp was already lighted, and Marm 
at once turned it up. 

Preparations for tea had been nearly com- 
pleted. The table was set, and the tea-kettle 
was singing cheerfully on the stove. 

“ Now, you imperdent little niggah, you sit 
right down dar.’’ 

Harry both saw and heard the invitation 
accepted. 

Marm now bolted the door to prevent Jock’s 
escape, and looked about for a suitable place to 
deposit her precious package. It was simply a 
bundle of paper, not very neatly folded, and 
was tied around and around with several 
thicknesses of twine. 

It was not in the form in which legal docu- 
ments are usually folded, but our hero never- 
theless felt confident that it was the deed 
which had belonged to his father. 

Marm first laid it upon the table. Then, 
with a look of suspicion towards the trem- 
bling Jock, she again took it up. 

At last she mounted on a stool, and reach- 
ing up, deposited the bundle upon the top of 
the cupboard. Two Jocks could not have 
reached it. The cupboard stood not far from 
the window, and Harry had an excellent view 
of the package in its new resting-place. 


340 


HARRY AMBLER 


“ Dar, now, I guess yo’ won’t rob your bes’ 
fren’ no moah to-night.” 

“ Marm, dat ’are aiut your’n, nohow. I 
foun’ it my own self.” 

“How could dat ’ere be you’ll? You 
couldn’t read it. It nebber could be no good 
ter you.” 

“Well, I foun’ it, anyway,” whimpered Jock. 

“ Guess, pickaninny, yo’, don’ know how 
much dat ’are am worf. In jes’ fifteen min- 
utes a gen’aman’s a dornin’ hyar an’ he’s 
go win’ to pay foali dollahs jes’ to let him read 
dat ’are onct. What do you think ob dat, 
hey ?” 

Jock stopped chewing the elm twig that he 
had been holding in his hand, and gazed in 
astonishment towards the bundle that was 
just visible over the edge of the tall cupboard. 

‘‘ Who am dat gen’aman, Marm ?” 

“ It am dat Massa Tull, an’ I tell yer he’s 
mighty partic’lar to see dat paper.” 

Harry’s alarm at this information may be 
readiljr imagined. To think of the deed, which 
was now plainly within his sight, and not more 
than eight feet from his hand, being again 
restored to the man who believed that he had 
already destroyed it! 


AT LAST 


341 


He determined not to let it go without an 
effort. He slipped away from the window, 
and was absent for what, when he thought 
how precious the moments were becoming, 
seemed a long time. Upon his return he 
brought with him a long hickory sapling, 
trimmed smooth through most of its length, 
but with a fork at the small end, formed by 
two sharp twigs. 

Selecting a moment when the old colored 
woman had turned her back, Harry quietly 
inserted the pole through the broken window. 
The position of the bundle was favorable 
enough for his purpose, and he felt sure that 
he could get an excellent hold on the twine 
if Marm were not so exceedingly active. 

It must, however, be admitted that his 
chances would have been most desperate had 
it not been for a singular accident which just 
then occurred, and for a few minutes looked 
as if it might cost Jock his life. 

The youthful prisoner caught sight of the 
hickory pole before it had advanced very far 
upon its journey. He must have been greatly 
startled by the sight, for he was instantly 
attacked with a most violent fit of choking. 

Giving a howl of agony to begin with, he 


342 


HARRY AMBLER 


placed his hands alternately upon his mouth, 
his stomach, and his back, at the same time 
making desperate efforts to eject something 
from his throat. The six-inch twig, which 
Marm had but a moment before seen him 
gnawing, had disappeared. 

The old woman’s wrath at once gave way 
to alarm. Seizing the unfortunate boy, she 
first inspected his throat, but finding noth- 
ing there to account for his sufferings, she 
stretched him face downwards across a stool, 
and pounded him with a vigor that threatened 
to displace his vital organs. For some time 
his case seemed hopeless, and iftdeed, in view 
of his sufferings, one could only wish him a 
speedy relief, no matter how it might come. 

This affliction occurred in the part of the 
room which was exactly the farthest from the 
broken window. Marm’s entire attention 
was, of course, directed to the little sufferer. 

Now Harry, with remarkable heartlessness, 
went right on with his own project in the very 
midst of Jock’s most acute sufferings. 

While Marm was forcing Jock to open his 
mouth that she might extract the suicidal 
stick, Harry was getting a safe twist on the 
twine with his forked sapling. While Jock’s 


AT LAST 


343 


ribs were being thumped most vigorously by 
his powerful physician, the bundle was noise- 
lessly lifted from its high position and steadily 
lowered towards the broken window, through 
which it passed just at the moment when 
Jock’s agony must have been most intense. 

Determined to save the boy at all hazards, 
Marin now seized him by his coat collar with 
one hand, and by the most convenient portion 
of his new pantaloons, with the other. Rais- 
ing him from the stool across which he had 
been extended, she proceeded to give him a 
most thorough shaking. 

This proved to be exactly what was needed. 
The very first shake brought forth the fatal 
stick. True, it came from Jock’s sleeve in- 
stead of his throat, but Mann was too much 
excited to notice little differences of that sort. 
The patient at once indicated his own decided 
opinion that no further treatment was neces- 
sary. 

“ Dar, honey, guess yo’ feel bettah after dat,” 
and she adjusted the much-shaken boy to the 
stool again in his natural position. She had 
saved Jock’s life, and the remnant of her first 
anger had wholly disappeared. 

The boy’s recovery was remarkably rapid. 


344 


HARRY AMBLER 


His throat had evidently suffered no lasting 
injury, for, in five minutes after being relieved, 
he was, at Mann’s urgent request, devouring 
the best contents of her cupboard. He was 
clearly out of danger. 

A few moments later, the sound of an ap- 
proaching horseman caused Jock to grab half 
a mince pie and hastily retire to the attic. 
Iu due time, Harry saw Marm unlock the door 
to the portly form of Jeremiah Tull. 

“ Wall, Mrs. Cobb, I reckon I’m on time.” 

“ Yes, sail. I’d be mighty right down glad 
ef the gent’men I washes fer was as prompt 
as you be, sah. It’s a awful good failin’, 
sah.” 

As he entered the room Tull had glanced 
about in search of the expected paper, and 
his face indicated a little impatience at not 
seeing it. 

“ Wall, how about that there paper? You 
liaint forgot it, I hope.” 

“Oh, no, sah, no danger ob dat. You’se 
already paid a dollali, and dar’s only four 
moah dollahs coinin’. O’ course, I remembers 
all dat.” 

Seeing that the financial part of the busi- 
ness would have to be settled first, Tull 


AT LAST 


345 


promptly handed over the four dollars. After 
carefully examining each coin to make sure 
that nobody had been passing spurious coin 
upon her visitor, Marm deliberately proceeded 
upstairs. She wisely intended to place the 
money out of danger in case the contents of 
the “ docament ” should not be as satisfactory 
to Mr. Tull as he might be expecting. 

That gentleman awaited her return with the 
full expectation that she would bring the 
mysterious paper in her hand. When she 
appeared without it, his countenance began to 
show his dissatisfaction, and Marm, having 
now secured her money, had no reason for 
longer delay. 

Mounting the stool, she confidently clutched 
the vacant space so lately occupied by her 
valuable prize. It was not there ! She hastily 
moved her hand to the right. All in vain ! 
The deed had vanished ! 

For a moment Marm stood there, with her 
hand resting listlessly upon the top of the 
cupboard, and her whole appearance indica- 
ting dumb amazement. Then a look of 
shrewd intelligence flashed across her dusky 
face. 

Turning suddenly upon her visitor, she 


346 


HARRY AMBLER 


caught liim with a sneer on liis lips. She saw 
through the whole scheme in an instant. Tull 
had discovered and stolen the package while 
she was upstairs, and would now have the im- 
pudence to demand the return of his money 
upon the plea that she never had any such 
paper. The very boldness of the plan set her 
blood to boiling. 

To Tull, also, the whole operation was too 
clear to need explanation. This woman and 
the editor of the Freeman' 1 s Record had, be- 
tween them, gotten up the whole villainous 
story about himself. After ruining his political 
fortunes, the woman had seen the further 
chance to make money out of him by her 
promise to exhibit the paper, which, of course, 
had never existed. Naturally, she had to make 
some pretext for not producing it at last, and 
she might as well look on top of the cupboard, 
as in the oven, or anywhere else. No wonder 
she took the money upstairs before going 
through this absurd search. 

We need hardly add that Jeremiah Tull did 
not propose to be robbed as well as slandered. 
Marm, nevertheless, got in the first word. 

“ You call you’self a gent’eman. You mis- 
’able ol’ cheat. Gib me dat documents dis 
berry minute. Yo’ heah me ?” 


AT LAST 


347 


“ It won’t work, old gal, and you might as 
well come down fust as last. Climb upstairs 
after them five dollars, an’ don’t try this kind 
o’ game ag’in or you’ll roost in the lock-up 
afore yo’ know it.” 

“ Han’ ober dat five dollahs ? I rader guess 
not. You jes’ bring out dat doc’ament, au’ 
don’t try no moah ob dat foolin’.” 

When Tull realized that the old woman 
persisted in charging him with theft, as well 
as in keeping his money, his anger overflowed. 
He advanced towards Marm, shaking his fist 
in the most savage manner. 

“ You black pickpocket, if you don’t get 
that money in half a minute, I’ll wring your 
skinny old neck for you.” 

Marin’s eyes flashed with anger, as she 
heard these uncomplimentary words aud be- 
held the advancing foe. 

After having deliberately robbed her, this 
man was actually about to chastise her in her 
own house. It was too much ! Marm’s days 
of slavery were long since past, and she had 
become a firm believer in the maxim that 
“ they have rights, who dare maintain them.” 
Seizing the steaming tea-kettle from the stove, 
she turned upon her arrogant visitor. 


HARRY AMBLER 


348 

With wonderful promptness, Tull adapted 
himself to the changed circumstances, and 
sprang towards the door. His speed, upon 
this occasion, was very creditable to a man of 
his weight, but, unfortunately, the door was 
closed and Marin’s aim was accurate. Just as 
he had dashed the door open, the straight line 
of his retreat was intercepted by the swift and 
graceful semicircle of scalding water from the 
spout of the tea-kettle. 

It struck him about “ midships,” as the 
sailors would say, and brought out a howl 
which startled Jock in the attic overhead, and 
even reached Harry, who was by this time well 
along on the road that led up the Run. 

The old negress followed her departing 
guest to the door. She could see him dimly 
as he scrambled into his saddle, and distinctly 
hear his references to herself. 

“ Him’s a pretty tuf ole bird, but I reckon 
dat’ll kind o’ loosen de tail fedders. Him 
wring my neck /” 


IT BROUGHT OUT A HOWL WHICH STARTLED JOCK IN THE ATTIC ABOVE 






CHAPTER XXIX 


HOME AGAIN 


TT^HIEE the events just narrated were 
^ ' taking place at the little cabiu in the 
woods, the household of our friend the miller 
was gathering about the evening meal. For 
several weeks there had been a noticeable 
change in the manner of the miller himself, 
which had more or less affected the other 
members of the family. 

His cheerful voice was heard less frequently 
than before, and then only when something 
required him to speak. He had not become 
morose, but it was evident that his own 
troubles were pressing so closely upon him 
that he had but little time for pleasant 
thoughts. 

He had passed the age at which a man, 
defeated in one occupation, could turn himself 
to another. He was a miller, and as such he 
must succeed or fail. He seemed now to have 
^ 35 1 


352 


HARRY AMBLER 


failed — not so much by reason of any defect 
in himself, as by the crushing power of a 
wealthy and vindictive rival. 

The consciousness of his failure was heavy 
upon him this cold November night, as, sitting 
at the head of the table, he silently performed 
the simple duties of host. Hardly a word 
was uttered duriug the meal. 

Besides sharing keenly in Mr. Conner’s 
misfortunes, Mrs. Ambler and Nellie had 
some additional reasons of their own for 
wearing serious faces. 

Harry’s letters had been less frequent dur- 
ing the last few weeks, and those that came 
had somehow seemed as if it was his effort to 
say as little as possible. This was so different 
from his usual frank and open manner that 
his mother was greatly troubled. 

Altogether it was not a cheerful group of 
faces that gathered about the evening lamp 
when the supper-table had been cleared. Mrs. 
Ambler held an open book before her and 
tried to read. 

Mrs. Conner was plying her needle, while 
her husband sat gazing into the open fire-place, 
in which a wood fire was crackling away and 
doing its best to make things cheerful. 


HOME AGAIN 353 

At length Mrs. Ambler laid aside her book 
and spoke. 

“Mr. Conner, don’t yon think we’d all feel 
better if we had a good full talk about our 
troubles ? I do.” 

The miller was taken by surprise for a 
moment, but he soon saw Mrs. Ambler’s 
kindly purpose, and he yielded to her sug- 
gestion. 

“ Tuke enow, like enow. But there’s not 
much I can say after all. It’s only that 
after a lifetime o’ work I can na see the way 
to pay two hundred dollars o’ debt, or if that 
were paid, I can na see how the living’s to 
come.” 

“ Is that the money you borrowed when the 
road up the grade was built ?” 

“ The very same. I have but fifty to pay 
two hundred, and if any one knows where the 
rest is to come from — why I’d like to have 
them to tell me.” 

“Oh, I can tell you all about that,” rang 
out a cheerful and familiar voice, as Harry 
Ambler threw his arms about his mother’s 
neck. The snow and the wind had prevented 
the sound of his light footsteps from reaching 
the group in the miller’s sitting-room, and 
23 


354 


HARRY AMBLER 


the traveler, finding the outer door unlocked, 
had entered the hallway and had overheard 
the few words that had been spoken. 

He received such a welcome as only a lov- 
ing mother and sister can give. 

When the first excitement of his arrival 
was over, he began very deliberately, and told 
of the various exploits and discoveries which 
have formed the subject of the preceding 
chapters. 

The little audience, gathered there within 
the cheerful light of the open fire, listened 
with ever-increasing wonder to the boy’s narra- 
tive. 'Nothing that he told them would be 
new to us, yet the reader can easily under- 
stand with what awe and gratitude Mrs. Am- 
bler received from his hands the deed — 
scorched, water-stained, and torn in half — yet 
potent in law to assure to the widow and 
children the home for which Parker Ambler 
had laid down his very life. It had, indeed, 
been so far from her thoughts that it came to 
her now almost as a gift from the world 
beyond. 

The next morning our hero and Mr. Con- 
ner visited the county-seat, which was a half 


HOME AGAIN 


355 


day’s journey from the Falls. They had 
wisely concluded to learn exactly what the 
legal rights of the case were, before them- 
selves taking any important step. 

From the worthy lawyer whose advice they 
sought, they learned that Mrs. Ambler and 
her children were, beyond dispute, the owners 
of the farm ; that the mill, with all that was 
part of it, was likewise theirs ; that Tull, 
having made the improvements with the full 
knowledge that the land was not his own, 
could neither remove any portion of them, 
nor claim compensation for their loss. 

That being the law, it became a matter for 
their own consideration as to how they should 
act. Having recorded the deed, they returned 
home, and Harry, Nellie, and Mrs. Ambler 
held a long and earnest consultation. The 
conclusion that they finally reached was shown 
by the occurrences of the next afternoon. 

Once more Harry Ambler and Tom Tabor 
might have been seen opening the gate of the 
still vacant cottage. They did not pause in 
the yard, but passed through it to the great 
mill that loomed up by the side of the stream 
beyond. 


HARRY AMBLER 


356 

Mr. Tull and Ned witnessed tlieir approacli 
with feelings of surprise, unmixed with pleas- 
ure. They both supposed that Harry was a 
hundred miles away in Philadelphia. 

“ Why, dad, there’s Ambler, an’ he’s step- 
pin’ along jes’ ’zif he owned the place.” 

“ That’s ’bout his style, an’ I’ve a mighty 
good notion to give ‘ Brock ’ a kind o’ hint to 
klar the premises o’ strangers.” 

By this time the boys were within hearing 
distance and in a moment more they entered 
the mill. 

“ Wall, gents,” said the elder Tull, with 
mock politeness, “ what kin a humble miller 
do fer you this fine afternoon ?” 

“ Mr. Tull, how much did this mill cost 
you ?” asked Harry, without paying any at- 
tention to the other’s question. 

“ Wall, what business is that o’ your’n, I’d 
like to know ?” 

“ I’ll tell you. We have decided to deed 
the mill and the land that it stands on to Mr. 
Conner. Mr. Conner will pay you a reason- 
able price for the machinery, not because you 
are entitled to it, but because he prefers to do 
so. He will make his payments in yearly 
parts as he finds it convenient. That is the 
reason that I asked the cost.” 


HOME AGAIN 


357 


Ned, who knew nothing about the deed to 
Mr. Ambler, laughed outright at the prepos- 
terous suggestions. 

“ What on arth be you tryin’ to git at with 
yer talk about deedin’ away other people’s 
land. Be yo’ mad?” asked Mr. Tull. 

“ There is nothing to make a secret of in 
the matter at present. The fact is, Mr. Tull, 
that that deed to my father which you tore up 
and threw into Rab’s Run, was fished out 
again within ten minutes from the time you 
threw it in, and is now on record. You will 
easily understand the rest.” 

When Harry began the last statement, Mr. 
Tull had been standing arrogantly before 
him, puffed out with insolent pride, and look- 
ing every inch the self-possessed and arbitrary 
man that he was. He had been idly playing 
with a handful of grain, which he was pour- 
ing from one hand into the other. 

When Harry had finished, Tull was resting 
against a grain-bin which he was clutching 
with one hand for support. His other hand 
hung by his side and the wheat was trickling 
down between his lax and nerveless fingers. 
His pale face and drooping jaw told how 
forcible had been the, shock to his nervous 


353 


HARRY AMBLER 


system. There was not a remaining symptom 
of his usual threat and bluster. * 

He realized that pronouncing the whole 
thing a falsehood would not take the deed off 
the record. He did, however, make one feeble 
effort at self-defense. 

“ O’ course I al’ays meant to pay back that 
’are money. I’ll do it to-day.” 

“ No. The money is yours. We are satis- 
fied with my father’s purchase, just as it 
stands.” 

Our narrative is nearly done. 

A few days later saw the little family back 
in their rightful home. 

In due time the Conners moved down to 
Ambler’s Station, as it is now called, and took 
possession of the mill that had once threatened 
their destruction. They still own it. 

The land about the station has so increased 
in value that Mrs. Ambler is now considered 
quite wealthy. 

Her change of circumstances has, how- 
ever, made no difference in the bearing of 
the family towards those about them. 

Harry has taken pleasure in keeping up 
the friendships that he formed during the few 


HOME AGAIN 


359 


eventful months that his family were “ pau- 
pers, n as he can now laughingly describe 
them. 

George Carrol often conies out for a week or 
ten days’ vacation, and Harry always drops 
into Shores & Co.’s store when in the city, 
and has a pleasant word with those whose 
acquaintance he formed under such singular 
circumstances. 

Harry and Tom Tabor find each other as 
agreeable companions in their early manhood 
as in the days of our narrative. In friendly 
conversation between them Tom often fixes a 
past event by saying that it was before “ you 
stole Tull’s watch.” 

The passing years brought still other adven- 
tures to the two friends, but these were in no 
way related to the incidents of our present 
narrative. 

Tull found the neighborhood too warm for 
him, and he and Ned departed within a week 
after the scene at the new mill. Bates, acting 
for his absent client, sold his property at the 
Crossing, and received Mr. Conner’s annual 
payments. 

Bates, himself, remained at Mountville, and 
his share in the conspiracy was not known 


360 


HARRY AMBLER 


until, years afterwards, upon his death-bed, he 
felt moved to reveal it, and so enabled us to 
present the whole singular history to our 
readers. 

On one corner of what was once the little 
farm, conveniently near the station, stands 
a comfortable cabin. It is the gift of Harry 
Ambler to Marm and Jock. The latter has 
long ago outgrown his boyish name. By the 
efforts of Mrs. Ambler and Nellie, he was 
placed in the way of getting an education, 
and the old order of things is now reversed. 
Marm depends upon him for her reading. 
He has long been in the employ of Mr. Con- 
ner at the new mill, and in many ways has 
had occasion to rejoice in his good luck as a 
fisherman in Rab’s Run. 


THE MONCASKET MYSTERY 

AND 

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BY 

Sidney Marlow 

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* ‘ ^ " " ~ ’ 

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THE ODDS AGAINST HIM 

OR 

Carl Crawford’s Experience 

BY 

HORATIO ALiGEf* Jr 

350 Pages Illustrated Cloth $1.25 

|N this volume Mr. Alger, the prince of writers of 
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JBoatnjai} 

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The Story of the Iliad 

TOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

By Dr. Edward Brooks, A. M. 

370 Pages, Cloth, Illustrated, « - « $L2S 


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